


A Trio of Time Lords

by LizzeXX



Series: The Lunar Cycle [6]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Canon Divergence, Canon Rewrite, Drama, Embedded Images, F/M, Gallifrey, Impossible Girl, Links, Mental Institutions, Mind Link, Mini Doctor, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Romance, Soulmates, Telekinesis, The Doctor Is A Father, The Doctor and Evy are Links, The Doctor/Evy, The Great Intelligence - Freeform, The Last Great Time War, The Lunar Cycle, Thuna - Freeform, Time Lords, Time Tot, Time Travel, Time baby, Travel, Who is Clara Oswald, baby time lord, doctor who - Freeform, linking, series 7 rewrite, space travel, time family, time lady - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-11-23
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:46:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 33
Words: 275,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26943124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LizzeXX/pseuds/LizzeXX
Summary: The Doctor and his Link, Evy, have survived Lake Silencio and begun their greatest adventure yet, parenthood. How will things work with their son, LJ, tagging along? What will they get into when LJ's older self, the Captain, pops up? How will they all deal with the loss of the Ponds and discovering their impossible companion?11/OCTime Lady
Relationships: Amy Pond/Rory Williams, Eleventh Doctor/Original Female Character(s), The Doctor (Doctor Who) & Original Female Character(s), The Doctor/Evy Daniels, Theta/Luna, Thuna - Relationship
Series: The Lunar Cycle [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1104399
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	1. Pond Life

**Author's Note:**

> I have been plagiarized many times since I began writing fanfiction :( So please, do not copy my work onto other sites. And if you see my work, whether in full or tweaked or mish-mashed into other people's works, reach out to me on tumblr (LizzeXX) and let me know so I can look into it, post evidence on my tumblr's 'Plagiarizers' page, and ask for help reporting when it happens :(
> 
> I have seen it all by now. From people flat out copying everything and just pasting it as is, to changing the OC's name or from 3rd to 1st person, to alternating parts of their own work with putting in parts of mine, to starting off originally and then transitioning to my work, to using Proffy for 1 story then switching to Evy in their next, to people literally taking chunks from 5 different series and piecing it together into a story, so please, PLEASE, let me know if you see it happening. I am nervous enough posting this on AO3 or any other site, it is reassuring to me if people can keep an eye out and just let me know if you see anything happening :(

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Welcome to the sixth story in my Lunar Cycle, involving my OC/Time Lady Evelyn 'Evy' Daniels (AKA Luna). Evy is the Link of the Doctor, a woman compatible to him in every way through any regeneration as he is her Link as well. This will be a revision of Series 7 and so, the first stories in this series (The Hidden Lady of Time, Alone No Longer, Together At Last, Linked Through Time, and the Beginning of a Family) should be read before this one to fully understand who Evy is, her special talents, and her relationship with the Doctor (exactly what Linking is/Links are).
> 
> A description of Evy...she's a Time Lady currently on her 11th body. She is a slightly short (about 5'5") blonde woman who wears her hair in a high ponytail, with one strand that tends to fall out of it. She has hazel eyes and a button nose. She tends to wear 'western' style outfits, namely a pair of pants tucked into knee high boots, a tank top, and a jacket over it. She was also given a 'holster' belt by the Doctor as a Christmas present to keep her very own sonic in, completing the look. I picture her as looking similar to Emilie de Ravin.
> 
> We also have another OC character, Little Jonathan Ianto Smith, or LJ, the son of the Doctor and Evy. Also known as the Time Lord Sigma...or, as his Older self appears quite a bit, just...J. Though his title is also the Captain after his favorite uncle ;) LJ is a baby at this point, having been born at the end of TWORS (in this series, The Graduation of River Song). He is only a few months old at this point, with brown hair, blue eyes, a tiny button nose, and, of course, the Doctor's sense of adventure :) LJ, as his parents can speak Baby, will have commentary and thoughts about the adventures as they go on. Until he says his first word of course ;)
> 
> ~8~ scene change
> 
> 'italics' telepathic communication
> 
> Italics, LJ speaking Baby
> 
> This story will be updated daily, with two chapters per episode for the whole series as there are no 2-parters (usually 1 chapter per episode in that case). However, since we are starting with Pond Life (surprise!) This is the only single chapter :) The chapters will also follow mostly the Doctor/Evy's (Thuna's) POV but include some scenes where the Doctor or Evy are mentioned/talked about.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who...or else the Doctor would have a baby boy (-cough- a Mini-Him -cough-) running around :)

**APRIL**

Amy and Rory leaned on their kitchen counter, listening to the latest phone message from the Doctor, Evy, and LJ, that little boy was growing up so fast!

"Hello Ponds!" the Doctor cheered.

"Yes, hello Amy, Rory," Evy laughed, "LJ stop that!"

LJ squealed.

"Taking a leaf out of Evy's book and thought I'd check in," the Doctor continued, "How are you?"

~8~

The Doctor opened a door to a bridge that had magma over it, LJ strapped to his back, peering over his shoulder and cheering excitedly as Evy moved behind them, her back to his, her sonic out as he carried a surfboard, rolling her eyes at their son and his enthusiasm.

"Doctor," Evy stepped back as the doors were pounded on, her sonic flashing, "Best be quick, I can't keep the Sontarans out for long."

He nodded, looking down at the lava before tossing the surfboard into it, hopping on, "Come along dear," he held out a hand to help her on as the Sontarans entered, the three of them 'hanging ten' as they fled.

~8~

"Not much to report," the Doctor added.

LJ gurgled.

"Yes, yes, dear," Evy answered him, "We surfed the Fire Falls of Floridal 9. It was the Doctor's fault."

"It wasn't _deliberate_ ," he argued, "It was just…the easiest way out…"

"We also met Mata Hari in a Paris hotel room," Evy sighed.

~8~

The Doctor was sitting with LJ in his lap before a fire, Evy beside him, toasting a crumpet on a poker in her hand, LJ starting to doze in the warmth of the fire and his father's arms, when the door opened and shut behind them. They looked over to see a woman enter in thick fur coats...only to drop them to the floor.

The Doctor quickly covered LJ's eyes when he saw the woman was naked, before covering his own eyes with his other hand lest he get smacked by Evy.

He only peeked through his fingers when he heard the door slam and saw Mata Hari and her coat were gone and Evy brushing her hands off, pleased.

_Where'd the furry lady go?_ LJ looked up at his father who could only laugh and shake his head.

~8~

"What an interesting woman," he remarked before, "Ow!" a smacking sound resounded.

"You deserved that one," Evy countered.

~8~

The Doctor, with a ball cap on, his hat backwards, was rapping in a booth to some music as Evy and LJ sat in the back with the producers, LJ clapping in her lap at his daddy. She shook her head, if LJ liked THAT for music as a baby…she could only _imagine_ how his dancing would be as an adult…

~8~

"The Doctor got to 'lay down some backing vocals,'" Evy remarked.

"We should be with you any day now," the Doctor told them, "Literally any day. Helmic Regulator's playing up. Can't get the temporal steering right."

Evy scoffed, "You couldn't get the temporal steering right BEFORE the Helmic Regulator started 'playing up.'"

Amy and Rory sipped their wine, imagining Evy using quotey fingers at that.

"Yes...well..I...shut up."

"Excuse me?"

They could practically hear the eyebrow raise in her voice.

The Doctor was quiet a moment, no doubt gaping like a fish caught out of water, "Oh dear!" he changed the topic, "Look at that. We appear to be colliding with Ancient Greece."

"Oh Doctor," Evy sighed, "See you later!" she called out to them before the phone call cut.

"The Doctor and Evy," Amy toasted to her husband.

**MAY**

Amy and Rory were sleeping soundly, when the wheezing of the TARDIS was heard downstairs. There was stomping on the stairs and the door flew open, the Doctor running in as they leapt up in bed, gasping. He quickly covered his eyes, and LJ's as he was attached to his front via a papoose, "Stop everything!"

"What's going on?" Amy asked, putting a hand on her heart.

"Doctor!" Evy called, entering, "Bedroom!" she gestured at the formerly sleeping couple as he lifted his hands to look at them.

"We have a RULE about the bedroom!" Rory grumbled.

"No one on this planet is safe right now," the Doctor ignored him, "We have to solve this before it's too late. Get your clothes on. If we move fast enough we at least stand a chance…"

Evy put a hand over his mouth to stop his rambling, "You have no idea what he's talking about do you?" she asked them.

"No," Amy shook her head.

"No," Rory agreed.

The Doctor rolled his eyes and pulled Evy's hand off his mouth as LJ giggled, "Oh Helmic Regulator! Again! Too early!" he turned to walk out.

_Did we get it wrong daddy?_ LJ asked him.

"Yes boyo," he patted his son's head, a thick tuft of chocolate brown hair growing, "It's the wrong point. As you were!"

"Sorry," Evy smiled at them before heading out after her boys.

"Wait," Amy called, "You can't just go like that. What's happening? Don't WE need to know?"

"Popped up in the wrong order," the Doctor popped back in with Evy and LJ.

"Easy mistake to make if you're him," Evy nodded at the Doctor as she sat on the edge of the bed, "He does it ALL the time."

"I'm not THAT bad!" he insisted.

"There's nothing wrong right now," she assured the Ponds.

"Yes, nothing to alarm you, forget we were ever here," he reached out a hand to Evy, helping her up, "We'll be back soon enough, I would have thought."

"Everything's FINE."

"Pretty much," the Doctor added, wincing as Evy smacked him behind the head, LJ laughing at that, "I mean...um..."

"Don't worry about the future," Evy said pointedly.

He nodded, "The future's really…" he paused, trying to find the right word, "…safe. Really, _really_ safe."

Evy smacked him again, "You had to say THAT?"

"What? You want me to say it's dangerous?"

She rolled her eyes, "I think you should have stopped at not worrying! Now they're going to."

He looked over to see the Ponds staring at him, "Sleep well!" he said quickly, grabbing Evy's hand and pulling her out, not willing to risk spilling something again.

Rory and Amy flopped back down, hearing the TARDIS dematerializing, "I really hate it when he does that," he remarked.

Amy sighed, "Evy's got her hands full with LJ, can't always stop him now."

"Great."

**JUNE**

Rory tied his dressing gown around him as he made his way to the loo, yawning, one morning…

Only to run back out with a "WOAH!"

He turned, seeing Amy coming to use the bathroom as well, only to try and block her entrance, "Out of the way Mr. Pond," she moved to pass him but he shook his head, "What? Why not?" he sighed, opening the door to show her the Ood sitting on the toilet...clearly having just come from a play date with LJ or something.

Its orb was colored on with crayons to look like Earth, its face drawn on with scribbles in markers and there was food all over him from either being thrown at him or spit up on him.

"May I be of any assistance?" it asked, its voice garbled as it seemed the line connecting it to the orb was gnawed on, LJ was probably teething.

"Ood on the loo," Rory sighed.

"Yeah…" Amy nodded.

**JULY**

"Ood!" the Doctor cheered over the phone as they _finally_ managed to contact the TARDIS, more than a month later, "Yes! I was wondering where he'd got to. I thought he'd just gone for a walk in the TARDIS."

Evy hummed, and they could hear a faint patting, as though she were burping LJ, "Must have wandered off when you tried to make him LJ's nanny," she remarked, to the Doctor not them, "I _told_ you he'd be fussy about it."

"I thought I could give you a break," the Doctor countered.

"YOU help me more than enough dear, we didn't need a nanny-Ood."

"I just wanted to give you some you-time, let you relax, let us both relax and have us-time, knowing LJ was safe and in the TARDIS and being looked after."

"That's endlessly sweet, but I'd rather have family-time than me-time," Evy laughed as LJ burped, "There we go. And besides, LJ doesn't like anyone but us looking after him."

LJ squealed.

"Right you are boyo," the Doctor laughed, "He wants to be raised by the best."

"To BE the best," Evy added when the baby babbled in Baby, "He's got your ego it seems..."

"Oi!"

"Hey!" Amy cut in, "Doctor, Evy if we could focus, please?" she glanced at the Ood as it placed a hot breakfast before her and Rory as they sat at the kitchen table.

"Must have wandered out..."

"Escaped," Evy coughed.

"When we popped in the other night," the Doctor continued, ignoring her, "If it _was_ the other night..."

"We rescued him from the middle of the Androvax Conflict and were taking him back to the Ood Sphere. Is he being a nuisance?"

Amy and Rory exchanged a look at how the Ood had done nothing but chores, making the bed, hanging laundry, cleaning windows, making their lunches…

"He, um, seems to think that he's our butler," Rory remarked.

"He's conditioned to serve," the Doctor explained, "You know. The best thing is let him do just that."

"But if it bothers you we can swing by and pick him up tonight," Evy offered.

"Whenever tonight is," the Doctor agreed when a warning bell started to ring, "Oh no, got to go. The power drain's threatening to cause the TARDIS to implode. Oh no that's bad. Why's it doing that? No, no, no, no, no, don't do that!"

The call cut with LJ cheering and Evy laughing as the Ood handed them both coffees, "Your infusions. How else may I be of service?"

"I feel so guilty," Rory murmured.

"Just eat your breakfast," Amy told him, the two of them smiling at the Ood awkwardly.

**AUGUST**

Two ladders were leaning against the TARDIS one slightly drizzly afternoon. On one, Evy was leaning over, half braced on the top of the TARDIS, her hands around LJ's waist as he sat on top of the old box, the light between his little legs wanting a first hand, up close, look at what his father was doing. On the ladder, the Doctor was...changing the bulb, a red phone tucked into his shoulder, pressing it to his ear, "Ponds!" he called, "Us again. Sorry about the gaps in communications."

"We picked up the Ood while you were out and brought him back home," Evy added, "Got him reconnected to the hive mind."

"Helmic Regulator's still not working. Got hit by an arrow at Hastings Hill. Also, took LJ on his very first horse ride through 11th century Coventry. Lovely place."

~8~

The Doctor and LJ sat before a Chinese man in a hut, noodles hanging up around them, LJ trying to eat them but they kept flopping and slipping from his grip as Evy stood behind them, shaking her head fondly.

~8~

"Also, I think I may have accidently invented pasta…"

"Is everything alright?" Evy asked as she carefully took LJ in her arms, climbing down the ladder as the Doctor did the same, taking the phone from him as he carried the ladders back into the TARDIS, "With the two of you?"

"Of course it is," the Doctor called, coming beside her, "Ponds, always fine. Just…just worrying unnecessarily. Anyway just call us if you need us, ok?"

"Bye guys," she finished, hanging up as she pulled the phone from her ear. She sighed, handing LJ to his father as she flashed the phone with her sonic, tugging it back as LJ reached for the funny-sounding wand.

They'd given away too much just then, best to not worry the Ponds.

~8~

Amy entered the kitchen to see no phone messages and sighed, "We need you raggedy man, impossible girl. _I_ need you."

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo! The Lunar Cycle is back! :) Not much of LJ being adorable here, but he will be much more of a presence in the upcoming chapters ;)
> 
> Now...serious question...who missed the smacks? :) Lol, not really all that serious :)


	2. Asylum of the Daleks (Part 1)

The Doctor set the TARDIS down on silent, wanting to be extra careful as Evy currently wasn't with him and if he was anything less than extra careful she'd kill him later for it. She was taking LJ to visit Jack, who had demanded that he be allowed to see his godson every few months, well, every few months in his timeline at least. LJ was still, to them, only a few months old. He'd dropped her off with LJ and told her he was going to check in on the Ponds…which wasn't technically a lie. He HAD gone to see them, however, he'd taken a little nap waiting for them and, in a dream, a message had been bestowed that he come here, to Skaro, because someone needed his and Evy's help. Well, he was NOT about to let his Link and son set foot on the Dalek homeworld, so he thought he'd pop in to check himself quickly. He was hoping to get this done with before Evy realized what he was doing, hoping Jack and LJ might be enough to distract her for the time being.

He stepped out, spotting a woman in a cloak looking out a circular window at the devastated world below, "First there were the Daleks..." the woman muttered to herself as he stepped closer, "And then there was a man who fought them with a woman alongside him. And then, in time, he died, and her with him. There are a few, of course, who believe this man somehow survived...and that one day they will return. For both our sakes, dearest Hannah, we must hope these stories are true…"

"I got your message," he began, the woman gasping and turning, peering at him from the hood of her cloak, her leather boots just visible from the bottom of it, "Not many people can do that, send me messages."

"I have a daughter. Hannah. She's in a Dalek prison camp. They say you can help."

"Do they?" he asked, tensing at the mention of a little girl, a child, stuck in such a place. He could empathize, if his son had ever…he shook his head, not even about to THINK on that, it would NEVER happen, he wouldn't let it, "I wish they'd stop," he added quietly.

The more that people kept asking for his help, the more danger he would be put in, the more danger Evy an LJ would face because of him. It was remarkable, how having a child had aged him, made him actually a responsible adult…to a point, Evy loved to say. It depended on the adventure really. Anything but Daleks or Cybermen and he was ecstatic to deal with, to take them along and have fun and adventures, but…dealing with their most dangerous enemies…that was not an adventure _he_ wanted even _before_ becoming a father.

He walked past the woman, Darla, he recalled from his dream, and over to the window, looking out at the destruction, "Helluva choice of meeting place."

"They said I'd have to intrigue you," Darla remarked.

"Skaro. The original planet of the Daleks. Look at the state of it," he turned to the woman, "Who told you about me?"

"Does it matter?"

It did, because, as far as the Universe was concerned, he died at Lake Silencio and Evy and LJ with him. For someone to know, to have even a hint that he was still alive...that would be bad. Very bad. Really very, _very_ not good.

He walked over to her, "Maybe not," and tugged her hood down, revealing an older woman with straight red hair, "But you're very well informed," he walked off again, looking around, "If Hannah's in a Dalek prison camp, tell me, why aren't you?"

"I escaped."

He shook his head at that, "No, nobody escapes the Dalek camps," he walked over to her, looking at her closely, before reaching out to touch her hand, "You're very cold," he observed, putting a hand to her cheek before looking around nervously.

"What's wrong?"

"It's a trap."

"What is?"

"You are," he turned to her, "And you don't even know it," he backed away as Darla's head jerked, a Dalek eyestalk sprouting from her forehead.

She raised her hand, a Dalek laser gun extending from her palm, and blasted him with it. He fell back with a cry, a pain shooting through his body as he felt himself losing consciousness.

The last thought to enter his head before the blackness took over was that Evy was most certainly going to kill him now.

~8~

Rory Williams came to, lying on the floor of a white room, the last thing he remembered was being on a bus after getting Amy to sign the divorce papers, the ginger in question having kicked him out of their house. He winced and sat up, spotting Amy there as well, standing with her arms crossed, still dressed in her modelling outfit, having been taken too.

"Where are we?" he asked her. She just jerked her head at the window of the room and he walked over, looking out at a number of Dalek spaceships floating in space, "So…how much trouble are we in?"

A door opened and a Dalek entered.

"How much trouble, Mr. Pond?" the Doctor's voice carried over to them as he stepped in after the Dalek, another behind him, "Out of ten? Eleven."

He looked up as the ceiling opened in a circular pattern and the floor began to rise, bringing them to an auditorium of thousands of Daleks of different makes and models. On a pedestal to one side was a mutant Dalek in a clear case.

"Where are we?" Amy turned to the Doctor, "Spaceship, right?"

"Not just any spaceship," he breathed, "The Parliament of the Daleks. Be brave."

"What do we do?"

"Make them remember you," he said quietly before turning to the Daleks, "Well come on then. You've got me! What are you waiting for? At long last, it's Christmas!" he threw out his arms, "Here I am!" and closed his eyes, preparing for them to attack...

"Save us!" the mutant Dalek called, making the Doctor crack his eye open, not having expected that, "You will save us."

He opened his eyes completely, dropping his arms as he turned to face the Daleks, "I'll what?"

"You will save the Daleks!"

"Save the Daleks!" the other Daleks began to chant, "Save the Daleks! Save the Daleks! Save the Daleks! Save the Daleks! Save the Daleks!"

"Well, this is new…" the Doctor muttered.

"It is, isn't it?" Evy asked, appearing in a clap of light, LJ in her arms, the old Vortex Manipulator that she'd made ages ago and finally fixed up on her wrist. She was in her typical 'western' attire, her favorite tan jacket and pants, tucked into knee high black boots, but with a light blue tank top that matched LJ's eyes.

The Doctor spun to face her, walking over to them quickly, "Evy!" he gave her a quick kiss, placing one on LJ's head as well before turning himself to block his son from the Daleks' gaze, despite the boy gurgling for him to move, "What are you doing here?" he hissed, his eyes wide with concern.

She rolled her eyes, knowing he was worried about the Daleks surrounding them, "Calm down dear," she reached out and patted his cheek, "Did you _really_ think I wouldn't sense what you were doing even when I was visiting Jack?" she raised an eyebrow at him, one he was very familiar with, "I wasn't about to let you face this alone and your son," she gestured at the baby in her arms, "As soon as he realized where you were, wanted to come."

He sighed, closing his eyes as he rubbed his head, listening to LJ gurgle, actually excited to be there, to be able to _finally_ get to face the Daleks that his parents had dealt with so often. He gave his son a fond, though concerned, smile, if _this_ was how he was as a baby…then when their little boy grew older he'd have no sense of self-preservation at all.

"But they're _Daleks_ ," he whispered to her.

She gave him a small smirk, "Yes, and we've faced them how many times now?" she asked, "And what happened to them nearly each and every time?" she nodded, not even giving him a chance to speak, "They were destroyed. Exactly."

"But…"

"And so help me, if they so much as _try_ to harm my son I will tear them apart, piece by bloody piece, with my bare hands," she nearly growled, glaring at the Daleks.

The Doctor had to smile at that, what LJ lacked in self-preservation, Evy more than made up for in maternal protectiveness. Motherhood suited her. She was so good at taking care of him that it just came so naturally to her to care for LJ too. She was doing spectacularly at it.

He could only kiss her deeply for that, laughing as LJ squirmed and complained in Baby about how embarrassing they were.

~8~

Amy and Rory watched as the Doctor paced back and forth across the room, Evy watching him amusedly, bobbing LJ on her hip, the boy gurgling and laughing at the Daleks as their eyestalks swiveled to watch the Time Lord.

"What's he doing?" Rory frowned.

"He's figured out the most defendable place in the room," Evy explained, glancing over at them, "Counted all the Daleks and the exits and now…" she eyed them, "He's looking at how far apart you're standing from each other and beginning to worry for the state of your marriage."

Amy rolled her eyes at that, watching the Doctor as he did, indeed, eye them, frowning, "Oh, and look at him frowning now. 'Something's wrong with Amy and Rory, and who's going to fix it?'" she shook her head as he straightened his bow-tie, "And he straightens his bow-tie!"

"We have arrived!" one of the Daleks stated.

"Arrived where?" the Doctor turned around.

"Doctor..." the mutant Dalek called.

Darla stepped forward, "The Prime Minister will speak with you now," she glanced at Evy, "Both of you."

The Doctor tensed, but Evy just handed LJ to Amy, frowning a bit as she saw the ginger tense when she took the child, and moved to take his hand, neither of them about to let the little boy anywhere _near_ a Dalek…yet.

The Doctor winced as Evy mentally smacked him for that last thought.

' _Sorry,_ ' he told her, squeezing her hand. He just...couldn't help it. LJ reminded him SO much of how he had been as a child, he knew, if the boy ended up even a smidge like he was, that there would be no stopping him from doing what he wanted and facing down enemies. He'd just meant, he'd rather THEM be there with him when he really got close to a Dalek than for him to face it alone.

They walked up to the mutant, the Prime Minister apparently, but the Doctor paused by Darla, looking at her, "Do you remember who you were, before they emptied you out and turned you into their puppet?" he asked her quietly.

"My memories are only re-activated if they are required to facilitate deep cover or disguise," she replied.

"You had a daughter."

"I know," she leaned forward, "I've read my file," before holding out her hand to motion them towards the Prime Minister.

The Doctor hesitated, but Evy squeezed his hand, the two of them continuing up to stand before the exposed Dalek, "Well?" he asked it.

"What do you know of the Dalek Asylum?" it began.

Evy frowned, "The legends say that it's a dumping ground of sorts. Where you put all the defective Daleks."

The Doctor nodded, "The battle-scarred, the insane, the ones even _you_ can't control. Which never made any sense to us..." he turned to look away.

"Why not?" its eye turned to him.

"Because you'd just kill them."

"It is offensive to us to extinguish such divine hatred."

The Doctor turned back as Evy made a disgusted noise, "Offensive?" she shook her head.

It just turned its eye to her as well, "Does it surprise you to know the Daleks have a concept of beauty?"

The Doctor leaned forward to look it in its eye, pulling its attention from Evy, "I thought you'd run out of ways to make me sick, but hello again. You think hatred is beautiful?" he turned and pulled Evy away.

"Perhaps that is why we have never been able to kill you," it called, making them pause.

But before they could comment, the floor by Amy and Rory started to open, revealing a white planet below. The Doctor and Evy walked over, Evy taking LJ back from Amy as they peered down at the planet, surrounded by a thick force field of some kind.

"The Asylum," Darla told them, "It occupies the entire planet. Right to the core."

"And how many Daleks are there?" Evy asked.

"A count has not been made. Millions, certainly."

"All still alive?" the Doctor tensed.

"It has to be assumed. The Asylum is fully automated, supervision is not required."

"Armed?" Amy wondered.

"The Daleks are always armed."

"What color?" Rory questioned, only earning a look from all of them, "Sorry. There weren't any good questions left."

_Why?_ LJ squirmed in Evy's arms, drawing the attention of his parents, the only ones who could understand him, _Why do they want it destroyed NOW?_

They glanced at each other, it was a _very_ good question. Evy had to smile, it seemed not ALL the good questions had been taken.

' _Well done boyo,_ ' the Doctor projected to him.

"This signal is being received from the very heart of the Asylum," Darla continued, oblivious to the small conversation. She pressed a button on a control and 'Habanera' from Carmen began to blare throughout the room.

The Doctor smiled, pretending to conduct while Evy swayed with LJ, the boy thoroughly enjoying the music as he clapped to it, not quite on beat, which only made Evy concerned for his dancing in the future. But, she supposed, with the Doctor as his father, it was to be expected that dancing was something the boy would fail miserably at.

' _Oi!_ ' the Doctor pouted at her.

She just laughed and reached out, taking his hand and tugging him closer, giving him a peck for his pout before he wound his arms around them and swayed with his small family to the song.

"What is the noise?" a white Dalek demanded, "Explain! Explain!"

"It's me!" the Doctor laughed.

"Sorry what?" Rory looked at him.

"It's him," Evy nodded at the Doctor as he dinged an air triangle, "Playing the triangle."

The Doctor shrugged, "Ok, I got buried in the mix. Carmen! Lovely show."

"How's _this_ being transmitted from _there_?" Evy wondered, knowing that Daleks did NOT listen to opera. She pulled her sonic from her holster and flashing it at a small control panel, walking over to it as the music turned to static, "Should be able to track the signal back and…"

"Hello?" a woman's voice called through the static.

The Doctor walked over to the panel with Evy, taking LJ from her as the boy tried to 'help' by reaching for whatever buttons were closest to him, "Hello, Carmen? Hello? Come in, come in, come in, Carmen."

"Hello, yes, yes, sorry, do you read me?!"

"Yes," he laughed, "Reading you loud and clear. Identify yourself and report your status."

"Hello! Are you real? Are you actually, properly real?"

"Yep, confirmed, actually properly real."

"Real hair," Evy added, playfully running a hand through the Doctor's hair...which only made LJ squirm in his arms, reaching for it to tug on, he seemed to have a fondness for looking at hair, he was always tugging on it and playing with it because it was so different for everyone. Different colors, lengths, unique to each person and that was fantastic!

"Oswin Oswald," the woman greeted, "Junior Entertainment Manager, Starship Alaska. Current status…crashed and shipwrecked somewhere...not nice. Been here a year, rest of the crew missing. Provisions good, but keen to move on."

"A year?" the Doctor gaped.

"Are you alright?" Evy asked, concerned, "Are you under attack?"

"Some local life-forms, I've been keeping them out," Oswin replied.

"Do you know what those life-forms are?" the Doctor asked carefully, not wanting to alarm her.

"I know a Dalek when I hear one, yeah."

"What have you been doing, on your own, against the Daleks, for a year?!"

"...making soufflés?"

"Soufflés?!" he let out a laugh, looking at Evy, amused, "Against the Daleks?"

"Well, that's one way to fight them off I suppose," she shrugged.

_Mummy can we make soufflés when we stop the Daleks?_ LJ looked up at her.

She nodded, though the Doctor could already see the wheels turning in her mind of the mess that would undoubtedly be created by both him and LJ trying to bake anything...but the smile on her face was more than enough to tell him she'd be ok with any mess. She truly loved doing things with him and LJ, their little family, all together and having fun, creating little moments and memories that would last forever. And that was all they wanted, LJ to have the best, most exciting, most memorable childhood of his lives.

Oh what a memory that would be. The three of them would probably end up covered in eggs and milk and flour and...

"Where do you get the milk?" he frowned, realizing that suddenly.

"This conversation is irrelevant…" the white Dalek stated.

"To a Dalek maybe," Evy rolled her eyes at it.

"No!" Oswin huffed as the static started to increase, "Hello...hello!" only to cut off completely.

"Because a Starliner's crashed into your Asylum," the Doctor added to the Daleks, realizing why they needed the Asylum wiped out, "And someone's got in. And if someone can get in, then everything can get out…a tsunami of insane Daleks."

"That's not something even _you_ would want," Evy remarked.

"The Asylum must be cleansed!" the Dalek shouted.

"Then why is it still here?" the Doctor asked them, "You've got enough firepower on this ship, to blast it out of the sky."

"The Asylum force field is impenetrable," Darla stated.

"Did you ever think to maybe...turn it off?" Evy shook her head at the simplicity of that.

"It can only be turned off from within the Asylum."

"Of course," Evy sighed, it could never be simple with a Dalek could it.

"A small task force could sneak through a force field," the Doctor explained, "Send in a couple of Daleks…" he stopped suddenly, realizing, "Oh…" he started clapping sarcastically, "Oh, that's good. That's brilliant. You're all too scared to go down there! Not one of you will go! So tell me, what do the Daleks do when they're too scared?"

"The Predator of the Daleks will be deployed," the white Dalek replied.

The Doctor frowned, "You don't have a predator. And even if you did, why would they turn off a force field for you?"

"Because you will have no other means of escape," the Prime Minister cut in.

Darla leaned over, seeing the Doctor's confused expression, "May I clarify...the Predator is the Daleks' word for _you_."

"Me?!" the Doctor gaped, "Me?!"

_Awesome!_ LJ gurgled, squirming excitedly in Evy's arms, _Can I be 'The Predator' when I get older?_

Evy stared at her son a moment before fixing the Doctor with a 'you are in _so_ much trouble' look that had him gulping.

"No, no," the Doctor said quickly to his son, "That's a rubbish name."

LJ pouted, looking very much like the Doctor just then, _But the DALEKS are scared of it!_

"Believe us LJ," Evy told him softly, taking him back from the Doctor, "Being feared…a name that inspires fear…is _not_ a good one."

"Let's wait till your older to talk about it eh?" the Doctor tried, giving Evy a little peck to try and assuage her that their son was NOT going to start calling himself 'The Predator.'

' _It's a phase,_ ' he assured her, ' _Like with Stormageddon,_ ' he added.

Her gaze narrowed and he realized that he'd just brought up an adventure he'd had when he'd sent her back to Jack for nearly 200 years, in his timeline at least. She'd never met the boy.

' _Who I shall introduce you to when this is over,_ ' he continued quickly.

She gave him one more look before nodding, ' _You'd better._ '

"You will need this," Darla said, cutting into their silent discussion, "It will protect you from the nano-cloud."

Two male Dalek puppets walked over, one moving to them and snapped small wrist bands on the three of them, even managing to fit one to LJ, while the other moved to Amy and Rory, doing the same.

"The what?" the Doctor looked at the small band, a blue light on it, "The nano-what?"

The man just grabbed his arm and pulled him back to Amy and Rory, Evy rushing after them, "The gravity beam will convey you close to the source of the transmission," Darla added, "You must find a way to deactivate the force field from there."

A bright beam of light suddenly shot up through the floor, connecting the ship to the Asylum.

"You're going to fire us at a planet?" the Doctor cried, starting to grow nervous, LJ starting to cry a little at the sudden light and the noise it was making, " _That's_ your plan? We get fired at a planet and expected to fix it?"

"In fairness, that is slightly your M.O.," Rory reminded him as Evy tried to calm LJ, reassure him it would be alright.

The Doctor just pulled his arm out of the male puppet's grip and moved to Evy's side, putting a hand on LJ's back, rubbing it as he hissed at Rory, " _Don't_ be fair to the Daleks when they're firing me and _my family_ at a planet!" Rory held up his hands in surrender and stepped back, "What do you want with them?" he nodded at Amy and Rory.

"It is known that the Doctor and his Link require companions," the white Dalek reported.

Evy scoffed, "Oi! _Friends_!" she called, "Get it right!"

"Oh, brilliant," Rory scoffed, "Good…"

The Doctor kissed LJ's head as the boy calmed a bit, " _Don't worry,_ " he whispered to his son in Gallifreyan, both he and Evy dropping another kiss to the boy's head at the same time, " _We'll get through this,_ " he looked at Evy meaningfully, " _I promise,_ " he glanced at Amy and Rory, "Don't be scared."

"Scared?" Amy smirked, "Who's scared? Geronimo."

The Doctor started to smile when the men suddenly pushed him and Evy into the beam, "Oi!" he shouted as they fell, Amy and Rory pushed in soon after them.

"Wrong way up!" Rory yelled as he fell upside down, "Wrong way up!"

"Rory!" Amy reached for him.

The Doctor just grabbed Evy and pulled her closer, both of them protecting LJ between them as the planet's surface rushed at them.

~8~

The Doctor was lying on his back, on the snow of the Asylum's ice-like planet, Evy was on her side beside him, LJ lying safely between them, squirming, trying to wake his parents…starting to cry once more when they didn't move.

Evy winced as her eyes fluttered open at that, "Shh…" she whispered, reaching out to place a gentle hand on LJ's stomach, rubbing it soothingly a moment before she moved to scoop the baby into her arms, cradling him, swaying as she sat, trying to calm him, "Shh, it's alright Sigma," she kissed his head, his cries starting to calm…and then she noticed something.

There was a Dalek eye popping out of the snow, retracting, and popping up closer and closer to them. She frowned, eyeing it oddly, before reaching out and whacking the Doctor on the chest.

He jerked awake, popping up to a sitting position, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw Evy and LJ, both with him, relatively unhurt, "Oh thank God," he breathed, kissing Evy quickly and dropping a kiss to LJ's head.

"Doctor," Evy said quietly, nodding behind him.

He turned to see the Dalek eye staring at him, "Hello?"

Suddenly a comm. switched on and 'Habanera' started to play over it.

They stared, amused.

"Sorry, sorry!" Oswin's voice cut in as the song was cut off, "Pressed the wrong switch."

"Happens quite a bit around us," Evy remarked, nudging the Doctor playfully.

"Soufflé girl?" the Doctor asked, ignoring Evy's little dig.

Evy reached out and smacked him on the back of his head, "Her name is Oswin!"

_Ozzy!_ LJ cheered, clapping, making his parents smile.

Oswin laughed at that little smack, "You lot ok?"

"How are you doing that?" he reached out and tapped the glass of the eye, "This is Dalek technology."

"Well it's very easy to hack."

The Doctor flashed his sonic at it, "No, it isn't."

Evy frowned, "You know, I've never tried before. Should give it a go one day."

The Doctor smiled at her, "No doubt you'll manage it."

Evy gave him a smile in return, leaning over to kiss him, before she leaned past him and looked at the eye, "Where are you Oswin?"

"Ship broke up when it hit," Oswin sighed, "Somewhere underground, I think. You coming to get me?"

"Doctor!" they heard Amy shout behind them, "Evy!"

"Over here Amy!" Evy called, standing with LJ.

The Doctor looked back at the eye as the connection started to break up, "Oi! Soufflé girl! Come back."

"Doctor!" Amy sounded closer, "Evy!"

They looked over, seeing her rushing over a hill and towards them, "Amy!" they called, making their way over to her, pausing when they saw a black man in a white snowsuit behind her.

"Where's Rory?" Evy asked, frowning, not seeing him with Amy.

"There was another beam," the man pointed back over the hill, "There, over there…" he frowned as the group quickly made off in that direction, "Are you the rescue team?" he ran after them.

They crested the hill, able to see a hole in the middle of the ground, seeming to go straight down as they got closer.

The Doctor knelt down to peer in, Amy beside him, Evy standing with LJ behind them.

"Rory?" Amy shouted down, her voice echoing, "Rory?! RORY!"

Evy shook her head, there would be no getting through there…

~8~

The man, Harvey they'd learned, showed them a hatch that led to his ship, where he had ample technology to help them scan for Rory and rope to get down the shaft they'd found, "We came down two days ago," he started working on the hatch, explaining, "There is 12 other escape pods. I don't know what happened to them," he popped the hatch open when Amy spotted something.

She knelt down and swiped some of the snow away from the hatch, reading the name of the ship, 'The Alaska,' "Alaska? That's the same ship as soufflé girl."

_Ozzy!_ LJ corrected.

"Oswin," Evy smiled, repeating for her son. It had come out sounding something like...well, baby babble.

"Yes..." the Doctor nodded, eyeing Harvey suspiciously, "Except _she's_ been here a year."

That was another thing he'd noticed about being a father. Where he'd used to be trusting of everyone till they gave him a reason not to, he found himself now suspicious of almost everyone that had even a scrap off about them. Even a young girl like Oswin and her milk. He'd trusted people in the past who had betrayed him, who had led him into traps, even his own companions had lied to him and kept things from him at times.

Now though, now he couldn't afford to do the same, to trust so blindly.

When it had just been him, he hadn't cared. If he lived, died, who offed him, it would just be an end to the eternal misery of being alone forever, the weight of his planet's destruction on his shoulders. But then…he'd had Evy, she'd shared that burden, and he'd lived for her, been more careful…not that she would really let him, having been in his head for so long, she was just as adventurous as him...though with the little habit of always coming up with a backup plan of some sort in the process.

But now...now they both had LJ to think of, to worry and care for. They could not, WOULD not, let _anything_ happen to them, because they refused to let LJ suffer that. And if that meant being cautious of the people they were trying to save...so be it.

Harvey opened the hatch and headed down into it, Amy following behind. The Doctor eyed the ladder down and pulled a papoose out of his coat, Evy handing him LJ so she could strap the papoose on. While she had enormously enjoyed the sight of the Doctor wearing it when they'd first gone to meet the Arwells, she _did_ miss holding LJ at times and so they'd agreed to switch off who would have him. It was her turn now.

The Doctor helped fit LJ in, the boy facing Evy's chest so his arms and legs wouldn't hit the ladder rungs as they went down, the boy tended to flail when he got overly excited...which Evy had to admit, she could see the Doctor doing as a child...since he did it quite a bit even as an 'adult.'

The Doctor just rolled his eyes at that thought, though he had a smile on his face. He rather liked when Evy would spot similarities between him and LJ, it warmed his hearts to know his son was so like him. But it warmed them even more when he saw little glimpses of Evy in the child as well.

"We should have some climbing rope long enough for that hole," Harvey remarked, going over to a locker.

The Doctor paused as he stepped down beside Evy, seeing her looking around at the crew sitting stiffly in chairs, none of them having reacted to their entrance, none even moving, or breathing either.

"Won't you introduce us to your crew?" the Doctor asked, stiffening.

"Ah yeah, sorry," Harvey laughed, "Guys, this is the Doctor, Evy, LJ, and Amy…" the Doctor saluted but still there was no reaction, making Harvey frown, "Guys?"

The Doctor moved closer, touching the shoulder of a crew member near him, only for the body to fall forward, a dried out, mummified corpse.

Evy quickly clutched LJ closer to her in the papoose, keeping him from seeing the bodies. She and the Doctor had both agreed to shield him from that as long as possible...despite how the boy was squirming, trying to see.

"Oh, my God!" Harvey gaped.

The Doctor pulled out his sonic and scanned the bodies, "They're dead. All of them."

"That's not possible. I just spoke to them. Two hours ago, we were doing engine repairs!"

The Doctor just pulled a hood back from another corpse, "You're sure about that, are you? 'Cos I'd say they've all been dead for a very long time."

' _Just about a year,_ ' he added to Evy, telling her the results of the scan. This was _not_ seeming to shape up well for Oswin's story.

First the milk...now this...

"But..." Harvey shook his head, "But they _can't_ have been..."

"Well, they didn't get in that state in two hours," Amy remarked.

"Oh," Harvey breathed, "Of course! Stupid me…"

"What?" Evy stiffened, looking at Harvey.

Harvey just looked at them, "I died outside and the cold preserved my body. I forgot about dying…"

They watched in horror as a Dalek eyestalk grew out of his head and he advanced on them. The Doctor grabbed a fire extinguisher and fired at Harvey, "Evy! The door!" he shouted.

Evy pulled out her sonic and flashed it at the door behind Harvey, opening it as the Doctor shoved him through, locking the door as soon as it closed.

"Explain!" Amy demanded, "That's what you're good at. How did he get all Daleked?"

"He didn't have this," Evy held up her wrist to show Amy the wrist device, bobbing LJ just a bit as he grumbled about missing _all_ the action.

"Oh ho ho!" the Doctor laughed slightly, "That's clever! The nano-cloud. Micro-organisms that automatically process any organic matter, living or dead, into a Dalek puppet," he patted one of the bodies on the skull, drawing Evy and Amy's attention to it, "Anything attacks this place, it automatically becomes part of the on-site security."

"Living or dead?" Amy breathed, staring at the corpses around the room.

"These wrist bands protect us. The only thing stopping us going exactly..."

"Dear," Evy cut in, "I believe she meant living or DEAD," she nodded pointedly at the corpses.

"Yes, exactly, living, or…or..." he finally caught on, seeing the look Evy was giving him, only to turn and see the bodies of the crew growing eyestalks and starting to rise, "…dead. Oh, dear."

Evy grabbed his arm and pulled him to the side, out of the way of a body that had lunged at him, and over to where Amy was standing by another door, opening it. They rushed through, one of the bodies grabbing Amy's arm. The Doctor turned and pulled her arm free, Evy locking the door to shut with her sonic, the three of them leaning against the door, panting.

LJ just giggled at the funny noises the adults were making.

Amy let out a little laugh, patting LJ on the head as she turned to the Doctor and Evy, "Is it bad that I've REALLY missed this?"

"Yes," the two answered as one.

_No!_ LJ disagreed, making his parents chuckle.

"Good," Amy smiled.

"I know," the Doctor replied.

"Unauthorized personnel may not enter the cockpit," Oswin's voice came over the comm..

"Shut up!" the Doctor rolled his eyes, pushing off the door to look around the room.

"Ooh, Mr. Grumpy! Bad combo!"

_Ozzy!_ LJ cheered, clapping. He really loved meeting new people.

Evy laughed, patting LJ's head before she spoke to Oswin, "I know, he's gone all frowny faced hasn't he?"

Oswin giggled, "No sense of humor and that _chin_!"

The Doctor rolled his eyes again at the two women.

"Is that her again?" Amy asked, "Soufflé girl?"

"Oswin!" both Evy and Oswin called at the same time.

_Ozzy!_ LJ repeated.

The Doctor frowned and looked at Evy, he knew that tone she'd used. It was the tone she used when he did something to a companion that was either insensitive or stupid or rude. But…Oswin _wasn't_ a companion and they both knew she might not even be human. To be trapped on the Asylum for a year, when everyone else from her crew had become Dalek puppets…he didn't want Evy to get too attached to the Oswin they were hearing, the one who still sounded so human.

' _I'm not getting attached,_ ' she called to him, drawing his attention as he gave her a curious look, ' _IF she's been converted, either into a Dalek or a puppet, right now...she thinks she's human. We can't not treat her like one or it might snap her out of it. We can't afford someone else attacking us,_ ' she glanced at LJ, ' _Not now, not with us unable to see or counter her._ '

He nodded, smiling a little at her reasoning, allowing Oswin to continue to think she was human...it was a mercy. He could only imagine the shock it would be to Oswin, how terrible, to realize that she wasn't human any longer.

Because chances were...she wasn't.

"Yeah," he said out loud, answering both her and Amy, "Shh," he then blinked, realizing what Oswin had said, "What is wrong with my chin?!"

Evy rolled her eyes, "NOW he realizes it."

"Careful, dear, you'll put someone's eye out," Oswin joked, "I'm scanning you. You're in another of the escape pods from the Alaska, right? Same ship I was on."

"How can you hack into everything?" he asked, "Should be impossible, you're in a crashed ship! And you're not Evy!" he added, recalling how Evy often did the impossible, he wouldn't put it past HER to have worked out a way to do it. But Oswin? A human?

"Long story. Is there a word for total screaming genius that sounds modest and a tiny bit sexy?"

"Doctor," Evy answered immediately with a smirk, reaching out to tug the Doctor's bow-tie, "You can call him the Doctor."

"I see what you did there," Oswin laughed as the Doctor gave Evy a peck.

"I tend to think it's 'Evy,'" he remarked.

_No!_ LJ squirmed, tugging a little on Evy's hair, _It's me!_

Evy laughed and shook her head, taking LJ's little hand to keep it away from her hair. It seemed her son had inherited his father's ego as well. Oh dear. She could only imagine how big of a head he'd have when he got older.

"Check the floor," Oswin called, cutting into their thoughts, "I'm picking up a breach at floor level, there could be a way out. See you later!"

The comm. cut off as they moved to a clear spot on the floor, seeing a hatch there.

"Ah ha, hatch!" the Doctor pulled out his sonic and flashed it, "Looks like it's been used already, and they tried to block it off behind them."

"Can't imagine why," Amy commented, glancing back at the door.

"If the pod's buried itself lower," Evy reasoned, coming to kneel with them, "Then this must go straight down, right into the Asylum."

"Where Rory is?"

The Doctor soniced the hatch, "Speaking of Rory..." he glanced at Amy, "Anything you want to tell us?"

Amy gave him a look, "Are we going to do this _now_?!"

"When else would he do it Amy?" Evy remarked, "Over tea and scones? Or in the middle of a life-or-death Dalek invasion?"

Amy had to nod at that.

The Doctor nudged her a moment, "What happened?"

"Oh, stuff, you know," Amy shrugged, "We split up. What can you do?"

"What _can_ we do?" the Doctor asked her earnestly.

Evy nodded, reaching out to put a hand on Amy's arm, "We've quite a bit of experience."

Amy gave them a sad smile, but shook her head, "Nothing. It's not one of those things you can fix like you fix your bow-tie," she nodded at the Doctor, and then at Evy, "Or anything he breaks in the TARDIS," she sighed, seeing them frown, "Don't give me those big wet eyes, raggedy man, impossible girl, and don't try to turn LJ's baby blues on me either," she cast the boy a sad, almost wistful look that they both caught and glanced at each other for, working out exactly what had happened between the Ponds. Amy shook her head and looked up at them, "It's life. Just life. That thing that goes on when you're not there."

The Doctor popped the hatch open and they looked down at the deep hole, a ladder hanging down from it.

"Ok," Amy nodded, glad to be off that topic, "So someone else got out this way then?"

"Let's go and find them," the Doctor nodded, moving to head down, not about to let Evy get to the bottom first, not knowing what might be waiting there...when there was a banging on the door. He frowned, getting up to look, only to see the corpses appear on a screen, standing before the door.

"Oh, hello, hello, hello?" he murmured as Amy and Evy came up beside him, "What are they up to?"

One of the corpses just held something in its hand as it banged against the door.

"What's that?" Amy frowned.

Evy stiffened, "One of these," she held up her wrist, "Where did they get it though?" she quickly checked LJ and the Doctor as Amy checked herself.

"From me," Amy breathed, looking at her bare wrist, startled, "They got it from me!"

"Oh, Amy," Evy took her arm, looking at it as LJ quieted.

_What's wrong with Aunt Amy?_ the boy murmured, sensing the seriousness of the situation.

The Doctor glanced at LJ, ' _She's lost her wrist protection,_ ' he projected to the boy, not wanting to alarm Amy, ' _She's unprotected from the nano-cloud now._ '

LJ pouted, reaching for the ginger, only succeeding in managing to tug her hair from the angle and distance he was from her.

"What's going to happen to me?" Amy asked them, reaching out to tug LJ's hand from her hair, but holding the little boy's fist in her fingers, though it broke her heart to do so. She knew he was more aware than an average baby, that it was his way of trying to see if she was ok, "Seriously, tell me, what?"

The banging hit again and they looked over to see the corpse wave the wrist device almost tauntingly at them.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Doctor, did you REALLY think you'd get away with it? -shakes head- I really loved writing LJ throughout this series, he's so much fun! All I can say is, LJ will be 'facing down an enemy' much sooner than the Doctor and Evy think ;)
> 
> Next chapter...LJ gets possessive of his daddy, Evy gets an idea, and...a Dalek gets a kiss? What?!


	3. Asylum of the Daleks (Part 2)

The Doctor was climbing down the rope ladder, in the lead, while Amy and Evy climbed down above him, LJ though, seemed very bored and was counting the rungs on the ladder in 12 different languages, much to the amusement of his parents. Evy could only shake her head at him, he seemed to have the Doctor's dislike of time moving slowly and in the right order...which undoubtedly meant he would only be happy if he was running for his life and laughing in the face of danger...

NOT something a mother wanted to know.

"So, tell me," Amy spoke, if just for something to say, "What's going to happen to me? And don't lie," she looked down at the Doctor, "'Cos I know when you're lying to me and I won't smack you like Evy, I'll just fall on you."

LJ gurgled, concerned, as he looked at his mummy, _Why's she asking again?_

The Doctor sighed, "The air all around is full of micro-machines, robots the size of molecules, nanogenes. Now that you're unprotected, you're being...rewritten," he jumped down into the corridor below them, looking around quickly to make sure it was safe enough, before nodding at the girls to jump down too.

"So, what happens? I get one of those things sticking out my head?"

"Not right away," Evy said as she stepped beside the Doctor, pulling out her sonic to scan as they made their way down the hall, "Physical changes…those happen later…"

"What comes first, how does it start?"

"With your mind," the Doctor turned to her, "Your feelings, your memories and I'm sorry, but it's started already."

"How do you know?" Amy frowned.

Evy closed her eyes a moment before turning to her, "Because we've told you this four times so far."

"Ok," Amy took a breath, worried about how she'd forgotten having this conversation already, "Scared now."

"Hang on to scared," the Doctor moved to hug her, "Scared isn't Dalek…"

"Doctor," Evy called as she opened a door at the end of the corridor.

He walked over, peeking in with her to see that there were no Daleks in sight in the room beyond, but they could hear them, which made LJ huff at not seeing them. He took her hand and backed away, the door sliding shut.

"What's that?" Amy squinted through the slots in the door.

"Keep a lookout," he told her, taking Evy's hand and pulling her down the corridor with him, "Don't open this door! Oswin?! Oswin, can you hear us?!"

"Hello, the Chin!" Oswin greeted through a comm. above them to the left, "I have visual on you and cowgirl!"

"Oi!" Evy laughed.

"Why don't we have visual on you?" the Doctor frowned, "Why can't we ever see you?"

"Limited power, bad hair, take your pick," Oswin sighed, "There's a door to your left, open it," she called and the Doctor did so, seeing circuitry and a screen behind it, Evy shifted LJ a little so he could see as well, the boy was really getting frustrated with his back being to everything interesting, "Going to send you a map to that screen. I've put your little friend somewhere safe, I can get you to him."

"You mean Rory?" Evy asked, taking LJ's hand as he tried to tug on her hair, wanting to know more about the technology before him, "You found him?"

"I call him Nina. It's a personal thing, hush now."

_Who's Nina?_ LJ asked them, tugging more on Evy's hair.

' _Apparently another name for Uncle Rory,_ ' she answered, amused. Oswin was shaping up to be the most amusing possibly-Dalek-product they'd ever met.

LJ giggled, _Nina..._

"How many Daleks directly ahead of us, right now?" the Doctor rubbed his forehead, needing to know.

"10, 20, hard to say," Oswin replied, "Some of them are catatonic, but they _do_ have firepower."

"When do Daleks not?" Evy scoffed.

"How do we get past them?" the Doctor frowned.

Evy turned to glance back at the room, only for her eyes to widen, seeing Amy had wandered _into_ it, "Amy!" she shouted, running down the hall, the Doctor after her.

"Shh," Amy whispered as they ran into the room, sounding slightly dazed, "It's ok. It's just people in here. It's just people."

"Amy," the Doctor began, stepping in front of Evy and LJ, speaking calmly to Amy though his eyes were on the Daleks that were turning to them, "It's the nano-cloud, it's altering your perception. Look again, look again, those aren't people…"

Amy turned around, only to gasp, likely seeing the Daleks that had surrounded them for what they were, Daleks.

"Come with me, take my hand," he grabbed Amy, ushering Evy and LJ back, "Run, run!"

They turned and ran down the hall to the ladder, only to see it moving. Evy glanced up, spotting the corpses on their way down, "Can't go that way," she muttered.

"Or that way," the Doctor added, having turned back to see a Dalek sliding out of the room. He quickly pushed the girls behind him.

_Daddy I want to see!_ LJ huffed

"Intruder!" it cried, "Intruder! Intruder!" it tried to fire its weapon but...nothing happened.

"It's damaged..." the Doctor breathed, relieved.

"Ok…" Amy shook her head as she and Evy stepped out from behind him, Evy seemingly as annoyed as LJ but for a different reason, the Doctor tried doing that lately, push her behind him, and she was NOT about to let him face anything without her BESIDE him, "But what do we do?"

"Identify me!" the Doctor stepped up to the Dalek, Evy moving with him, LJ squirming as he wanted to be able to really see a Dalek, and this one appeared safe enough for now.

_It looks like a pepper pot,_ LJ remarked, tilting his head to eye the Dalek.

The Doctor laughed at that as he turned to the Dalek, "Access your files, who am I? Come on, who's your daddy?"

_MY daddy!_ LJ started squirming, _My daddy! NOT yours! Mine! You can't have him! You mean old Daleks!_

Evy had to laugh at that, LJ was just as possessive of them as they were of each other, "It's alright," she soothed the baby, rubbing his back, "Daddy's just being an idiot at the moment."

"Oi!" the Doctor turned to her.

But then the Dalek spoke, making the Doctor turn back to it, "You...are...the Predator!"

"Access your standing orders concerning the Predator."

"The Predator must be destroyed."

He scoffed, "And how are you going to do _that_?! Dalek without a gun, you're a tricycle with a roof!"

Evy closed her eyes, "Oh don't do that..."

But it was too late.

"How are _you_ going to destroy _me_?!" the Doctor taunted.

"Self-destruct initiated!" the Dalek cried.

"Stop talking!" Evy hissed to the Doctor, smacking him on the back of the head as she quickly moved forward and began to flash the Dalek with her sonic, not about to let it explode as it was planning to do.

"What's it doing?!" Amy shifted, nervous.

"It's trying to blow itself up, taking itself out along with us…" Evy shrugged, popping the lid of the Dalek's casing up, "It's the only weapon it has left…"

"Self-destruct cannot be countermanded!" the Dalek cried as she soniced within it.

Evy just smiled at it, leaning down to look it in its eyestalk, "A countermand isn't what I'm looking for, dear," she dropped the lid shut, "I was looking for reverse! Toodle-loo," she waved at it.

The Dalek suddenly started to roll backwards against its control, making LJ giggle and wave his arms at it, "For...wards," it tried, "For...wards, forwards, forwards!"

Only to arrive in the room with the other Daleks, colliding with one and exploding, the Time Lords pulling Amy to a side niche to escape the backlash.

~8~

Rory, who had managed to survive the Daleks with a little help from Oswin, stepped into the room where the Dalek had exploded, looking around at the destruction, the dust around them, "Oswin?" he called quietly, not wanting to awaken any Daleks that might have survived, "What happened?! Who killed all the Daleks?"

The Doctor entered the other side of the room, holding Amy in his arms as Evy walked beside him with LJ. The Doctor smirked, "Who do you think?" he laughed, "The Predator isn't the only one the Daleks should be worried about," he nodded at Evy, "Never _ever_ put a child in danger when its mum is around."

Evy just blew on the end of her sonic and spun it in her fingers, putting it in her holster.

LJ clapped, _My mum is so…_

"Language!" she called to her son, trying to rein in his potty mouth.

LJ pouted, _Awesome!_ he supplied instead, making her smile.

~8~

The Doctor carried Amy into a room with a circular teleport pad in the middle of the floor. He set Amy down, all of them gathering around her as she lay there, unconscious, having been knocked out by the blast.

"Will sleeping help her?" Rory asked, recalling what Evy had told him of what happened to her, "Slow down the process?"

"You'd better hope so," Oswin spoke., "Because pretty soon, she's going to try and kill you."

"Amy," Rory knelt beside her as she started to wake.

"Ow…" Amy murmured.

"Amy, you're still with us," the Doctor reached out to stroke her hair a moment.

"Amy, it's me," Rory added, "Do you remember me?" she just slapped him and he nodded, "She remembers me."

Evy laughed, "There's our Amy."

"Do you know how you make someone into a Dalek?" Oswin said softly, "Subtract love, add anger. Doesn't she seem a bit _too_ angry to you?"

"Well!" Amy grumbled, glaring at the Dalek eyepiece in the wall, the camera, "Somebody's never been to Scotland!"

"What about you though, Oswin?" the Doctor glanced at the eye-camera, "How come you're ok? Why hasn't the nano-cloud converted you?"

"I mentioned the genius thing, yeah?" Oswin reminded them, "I'm shielded in here."

"Clever of you. Now this place, the Daleks said it was fully automated. But look at it, it's a wreck."

"Well, I've had nearly a year to mess with them and not a lot else to do," Oswin replied.

"A junior entertainment manager, hiding out in a wrecked ship..." the Doctor turned away from the camera, frowning at Evy, "Hacking the security systems of the most advanced warrior race the Universe has ever seen. But you know what really gets me about you, Oswin?" he turned back to the camera, "The soufflés!"

Amy looked at Evy and mouthed 'soufflés?'

Evy shook her head, swaying a bit, her hand absently running over the back of LJ's head, lulling the boy to a semi-sleep at the motion.

"Where do you get the milk for the soufflés?" the Doctor wondered, glancing at the others, "Seriously, is no one else but Evy and I wondering about that?"

"No," Rory said, "Frankly, no. Twice."

"So, Doctor, I've been looking you up," Oswin cut in, "You and Evy are all over the database. Why do the Daleks call you the Predator?"

"I'm not a predator, just a man with a plan," he smirked.

"You've got a plan?"

"He's got a thing," Evy smiled, getting up, LJ's hand absently curled around a strand of her hair, sleeping.

"We're all ears," Rory remarked.

"There's a nose joke going, if anyone wants to pick that one off," Amy rubbed her head.

"In no particular order," the Doctor began, walking over to Evy, placing his hand on LJ's back, smiling as he kissed his son's head for a moment, "We need to neutralize all the Daleks in this Asylum, rescue Oswin from the wreckage, escape from this planet, and fix Rory and Amy's marriage..."

"Ok," Amy deadpanned, "I'm counting three lost causes, anyone else?"

Rory just slapped his knee in frustration and got up, knowing exactly what Amy was counting in the three lost causes. Their marriage.

"Oswin," the Doctor turned to the eye-camera, "There's a Dalek ship in orbit."

"Yeah, got it on the sensors," Oswin replied.

"The Asylum has a force field. The Daleks upstairs are waiting for me to turn it off," he frowned, looking at Evy and LJ, "Soon as I do, they'll burn this world and us with it," before smiling when LJ let out a little yawn and snuggled into Evy's neck, no, he wouldn't let that happen. He spun around, "So, Oswin, my question is this. How fast can you drop the force field?"

Amy and Rory stared at him.

"Pretty fast," Oswin answered after a moment, "But why would I?"

"Because this is a teleport," he gestured at the circular pad, "Am I right, Oswin?"

"Yeah. Internal use only."

He snapped his fingers and pointed at Evy.

She smiled and flashed the panel with her sonic, "I should be able to boost the power enough to beam us off the planet once the force field is dropped."

"But you said, when the force field is down, the Daleks will blow us up," Rory reminded them.

"We have to be quick," the Doctor added.

"Fine," Amy sighed, "We'll be quick, but where do we beam to?"

"Back to the Dalek ship," Evy answered, "It's in range."

"Where they exterminate us on the spot."

Rory sighed, "This is the kind of escape plan where you survive four seconds longer?"

"What's wrong with four seconds?" the Doctor frowned, "You can do lots in four seconds."

Evy rolled her eyes, "I can narrow the beam to send us right back to the TARDIS," she reassured the humans.

The Doctor nodded, "Oswin! How fast can you drop the force field?"

"I can do it from here," Oswin answered, "As soon as you come and get me."

The Doctor shook his head, "No, just drop the force field and come to us."

"There's enough power in that teleport for one go. Why would you wait for me?"

"Why wouldn't we?" Evy countered.

"No idea, never met you. Sending you a map so you can come get me."

The Doctor sighed and moved to a monitor, looking at the data Oswin was sending.

"This place is crawling with Daleks," Rory shook his head.

"Yeah. Kind of why I'm anxious to leave. Come up and see me some time."

And with that, she cut the connection.

Rory got up and moved to the Doctor's side, eyeing the map, "So?" he asked, quietly, "Are we going to go get her?"

"I don't think that we have a choice," he frowned, not liking this plan.

"Can't you just use that?" Rory pointed at Evy's Vortex Manipulator.

She shook her head, "It fried when we entered the teleport beam to the Asylum. I don't have the time or the tools to fix it from here."

"Ok," the Doctor turned to the humans as Evy moved to his side, "Soon as the force field is down, the Daleks will attack. If it gets too explodey-wodey in here, you go without me…" Evy elbowed him in the side, "Us," he corrected, "Ok?"

Evy handed Rory the teleport control.

"And leave you to die?" Rory frowned.

"Oh, don't worry about us," the Doctor waved him off, "You're the one beaming up to a Dalek ship to get exterminated," before making his way under the platform to cross some wires.

"Fair point, love this plan."

Evy rolled her eyes, "Don't worry Rory, we won't die."

"How do you know?" he frowned, worried about them.

She took a breath, "Because we're taking LJ with us," she said, "He's more than enough reason to keep safe, keep to the shadows, and get out alive don't you think?"

Rory was honestly a little shocked that _Evy_ had said that. LJ was their _life_ , they would _never_ ever put him in harms way…which meant…they must have had a plan. They were about to go creeping through the Dalek Asylum after Oswin, probably swarming with Daleks, _with_ LJ. But…he had to admit, your child was your strength. He could remember how it felt to put on his Centurion outfit again, to sneak in and face Cybermen down, he hadn't even been frightened, because he was a man, a husband, a father, on a mission to rescue his wife and child and nothing and no one would stop him.

A parent could do and would do _anything_ to keep their child safe.

"What about Amy?" he asked, nodding at the girl sitting on the teleport, rubbing her head.

"You just have to keep her remembering the things she loves," Evy answered, "If you can keep her focused on that, it'll stunt the conversion."

"What do I do?" Amy frowned.

"You heard what Evy and Oswin said," the Doctor stood up, "They're subtracting love. Don't let them," he took Evy's hand, LJ starting to yawn, waking from his little nap, as they headed out of the room.

~8~

The Time Lords crept quietly through a corridor of the Asylum, pausing every now and then when they heard Daleks in the distance, "Emergency, emergency! We are the Daleks! We are the Daleks! We are the Daleks..."

The Doctor took a breath, taking Evy's hand, LJ unnaturally silent, realizing that this was a chance he would _never_ get again, this was when he _had_ to be quiet, be serious, because this was as dangerous a situation as his parents would let him be involved in. If he cried, he'd alert the Daleks to their presence, and he would _not_ risk that. He was a smart baby, he knew enough to know the Daleks, despite the confidence of his parents, were deadly.

And he knew that if he alerted the Daleks, his parents would likely leave him with the companions when they went into dangerous situations in the future, and he really, _really_ wanted to be apart of every aspect of their adventures.

The Doctor glanced at a camera in the wall, tugging on his bow-tie, smirking a bit to himself, knowing that, by now Amy and Rory would have discovered the wrist device he'd slipped onto Amy. Time Lords, the nanogenes were basically useless against them. He hoped that Rory would do what he knew the man would do, try to sacrifice himself for Amy, give her his wrist device, Amy would, of course, refuse, they'd argue and hopefully make up. He and Evy were well aware of what had led the Ponds to their divorce...Amy, what Kovarian had done to her at Demons Run, had left her unable to have children, something she desperately wanted to give Rory. They'd seen the way she looked at LJ, how much she wanted a baby, but also how sad she was that she couldn't have one. Amy always seemed a bit reluctant to hold LJ when they saw her, like it just made her relive losing Melody, which it might have. They truly hoped Rory would get through to her and that the Ponds would be able to heal, LJ missed his 'Aunt Amy.'

"Oswin?" Evy whispered as they neared a door, "Are we close?"

"You are," she replied over the comms., equally as quiet, "Less than 20 feet away. Which is the good news..."

"Ok…" the Doctor sighed, "And the bad, which I suddenly feel is coming..."

"You're about to pass through intensive care."

The door slid open and they took a breath, squeezing each other's hand, the Doctor's free hand pulling out his sonic while Evy put her hand on LJ's back for extra protection. They stepped into the room to see there were only a few Daleks within, in individual cells, stalls really, some chained in place.

"And what's so special about this lot then?" the Doctor asked as they slowly made their way further in, trying to be quiet, careful, so as not to be noticed by the Daleks.

"Dunno. Survivors of particular wars. Spiridon. Kembel. Aridius. Vulcan. Exxilon. Ringing any bells?"

Evy let out a very low whistle, "Every single one."

"Yeah? How?"

The Doctor paused before a Dalek, eyeing it, "These are the Daleks who survived me."

Unfortunately the Daleks slowly started to awaken, "Doc...tor...Doc...tor. Doc...tor. Doctor..."

"That's weird," Oswin breathed, "Those ones don't usually wake up for anything."

"Yeah, well," he pushed Evy behind him, "Special visitors," he turned and pulled her to a door at the end of the room, "Ok, door, but it won't open…" he flashed the sonic across it, "You can't be far away though..."

"Hang on, not quite sure…there's a release code, let me...let me just...anything happening out there?"

"No!" Evy called, pulling out her own sonic to help.

"Hang on, I'm trying a thing…"

The Doctor flashed the door again, but nothing. He turned slowly to see the Daleks advancing on them, breaking through their chains to surround them.

"Doc…tor. Doc...tor. Doctor..." they continued, slowly approaching.

"Oswin, open this door!" Evy called, turning around, her hand over LJ as he started to cry, the Daleks getting closer, "Oswin get the door open!"

"I can't!" she cried.

"Oswin!" the Doctor shouted, terror filling him as the Daleks drew nearer not only to him but to his Link and son, "PLEASE, GET THIS DOOR OPEN!" he pressed Evy and LJ as far behind him as he could, his hearts breaking at hearing LJ crying, they hadn't thought that they'd face such deadly Daleks, "OSWIN! OSWIN! PLEASE, GET THIS DOOR OPEN! HELP US!"

"Doc...tor. Doctor..."

The Doctor closed his eyes, feeling Evy pressing into his back, both of them preparing for the worst, and cursing themselves for not leaving LJ with Amy and Rory…

When the Daleks suddenly stopped, and moved away, ignoring them.

"Oh, that is _cool_ ," Oswin laughed, impressed, "Tell me I'm cool, chin boy, cowgirl."

"Oswin…" Evy hesitated, trying to sooth LJ, who was sniffling now that the mean old Daleks had gone away, "What happened?"

"Hang on, I think I've found the door thingie..."

"No, tell us what you did!" the Doctor demanded.

"The Daleks, they have a hive mind. Well they don't, but they have a telepathic web."

"The Path Web, yes."

"I hacked into it. Did a master delete on all the information connected with the Doctor and his Link," she let out a small giggle, "That's a funny word. What does that mean, you're like his wife or something?"

Evy blinked, more concerned with what she'd said first than her question, "You…deleted us from the database?" Evy asked, that was a _brilliant_ idea…

Why hadn't _she_ thought of that?

_Ozzy's very smart, isn't she mummy?_ LJ looked up at her, far calmer now, seeming to share her thoughts.

' _Yes,_ ' she nodded absently, even more alarmed though, because...they were so hoping Oswin might have just been a Dalek-puppet whose memories were stuck on reactivation, but now...for her to do THIS? It was _bad_...

"You made them forget us?" the Doctor frowned at the impossibility of it. Oh Oswin…if she hadn't been some sort of Dalek experiment, he'd wager she and Evy would get along swimmingly.

"Good, eh?" Oswin cheered, "And here comes the door!"

The door opened behind them, but neither the Doctor nor Evy turned, though LJ squirmed, trying to see what Oswin looked like, because she sounded pretty.

"I've tried hacking the Path Web," the Doctor murmured, looking at Evy who kissed LJ's head, calming him completely, "Even I couldn't do it."

"Come and meet the girl who can."

They turned around, the Doctor's eyes widening as he saw a _Dalek_ there, chained up. Evy's eyes filled with sadness as LJ started to rub at his face and his eyes, as though the little boy couldn't believe what he was seeing.

_Where's Ozzy?_ he asked them, trying to look around the room as though she might be hiding from the Dalek somewhere.

"That's her," Evy breathed quietly to him. The poor boy, he was so clever but...sometimes he was as oblivious as his father could be.

"Hey!" Oswin greeted, though now, as the comms. had been switched to the only one in the room, it sounded like a Dalek, "You're right outside, come on in."

"Oswin..." the Doctor started, "We have a problem..."

"No, we don't! Don't even say that. Joined the Alaska to see the Universe, ended up stuck in a shipwreck, first time out. Rescue me, chin boy, and show me the stars cowgirl."

"Does it look real to you?"

_Mummy?_ LJ looked up at her, frowning adorably, _How's THAT Ozzy? That doesn't sound like her. It sounds all...rough..._

Evy could only shake her head, unable to answer, unable to bring herself to tell her son how it had happened. She knew the Daleks were evil, cruel beings, but this? This was _beyond_ …

"Does what look real?" the Oswin-Dalek asked.

"Where you are right now," the Doctor clarified, "Does it seem real?"

"It IS real."

He shook his head, "It's a _dream_ , Oswin. You dreamed it for yourself, because the truth was too terrible."

The Oswin-Dalek was silent a moment, "Where am I? Where...am...I? Where...am...I?"

"You're a Dalek, Oswin," Evy told her gently, her hearts breaking for the true terror they could hear even in the Dalek's voice.

"I am not a Dalek! I am NOT a Dalek! I'm _human_."

"You _were_ human when you crashed here," the Doctor stepped closer, motioning for Evy to stay back a step or two, now that the Oswin-Dalek was starting to realize…there would be no telling what she would do, and they still needed to get her to drop the force field, "It was _you_ who climbed out of the pod, that was your ladder."

"I'm...human..."

"Not anymore. Because you're right, you're a _genius_. And the Daleks need genius."

"We're so sorry Oswin," Evy added, feeling LJ clutch at her shirt, the boy clearly starting to get upset for what the Daleks had done to the nice lady, "They manufactured a full conversion. You're a Dalek now."

"No…" the Oswin-Dalek began.

"The milk, Oswin," the Doctor continued, "The milk and the eggs for the soufflés. Where, where did it all come from?"

"Eggs. Eggs…"

"It wasn't real. It was _never_ real."

"Eggs...ter...min...ate…" the Oswin-Dalek slowly lifted its laser arm.

"Oswin?" Evy stiffened, clutching LJ closer.

"Eggs...term...in...ate. Exterminate! Exterminate!" it started to advance, straining against the chains.

"No, no, no, Oswin," the Doctor called as he quickly pushed Evy and LJ back to the door, "Oswin listen...Oswin! You don't have to do this!"

The Oswin-Dalek just broke free of the chains and advanced, "EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!"

"Oswin! Oswin!"

LJ started crying again and the Dalek suddenly stopped at that, Evy trying to pat his back, calm him, as the Dalek stared at them, at LJ. They would never know but the Oswin within, the girl trapped inside the metal casing...she loved children. It was one of the reasons she'd wanted to be an entertainment manager, because they got to organize the events, she had been assigned the childrens' parties, because she loved them, taking care of them, seeing them smile and laugh...NOT cry.

That baby...that little boy...was crying, because SHE had frightened it...

And that was more than enough to snap her out of it.

And then...she began crying too, soft sobs that seemed to make LJ quiet and stare at the Oswin-Dalek in confusion as to why IT was crying too. LJ looked up at his mummy and daddy before squirming, making them look down at him. He still had tears in his eyes, but now...he was reaching for the Oswin-Dalek.

They looked at each other over LJ's head before slowly and cautiously moving closer to the Oswin-Dalek, wanting to see what LJ wanted so badly.

_Don't cry Ozzy,_ LJ said, reaching out a little hand to touch the Oswin-Dalek's eyestalk, which made his parents tense, _Please don't cry. Everything will be ok..._

They watched as LJ squirmed more, Evy frowning as she took a step closer, the two of them watching as LJ...gave the Oswin-Dalek's eyestalk a tiny, little kiss...like they always did on his head to make him feel better.

' _Your son too,_ ' the Doctor whispered to Evy as the Oswin-Dalek stopped crying, imagine that, a little baby getting through to a Dalek...should be impossible...but there it was, ' _Just like you,_ ' he smiled at her, making her smile too, though she stepped back from the Oswin-Dalek as its eyestalk rose.

"Why do they hate you...so much?" the Oswin-Dalek spoke quietly, making no other move to harm them, 'Oswin' was back in control, "They _hate_ you," the eyestalk twitched to the Doctor, "And your Link and child, _so much_. Why?"

"We fought them," the Doctor replied, "Many, many times."

"We have grown stronger in fear of you."

"I know," he looked down at LJ, the boy looking at the Oswin-Dalek with a little frown, "I tried to stop."

"Then run."

He looked up at the Oswin-Dalek, stunned, "What did you say?"

"I've taken down the force field. The Daleks above have begun their attack. Run!"

The door behind them opened as well.

"Oswin?" Evy blinked, "Are you..."

"I am Oswin Oswald. I fought the Daleks. And I AM...human. Remember me."

_Thank you Ozzy!_ LJ cheered.

The Doctor beamed, "Yes, thank you Ozzy!"

"Run!" she ordered as the two ran out with LJ, "Run you clever boy, you impossible girl, and remember!"

LJ gurgled again, _I like her._

The Doctor laughed, "We do too boyo!"

They ran down the corridor, explosions starting to go off as the Daleks attacked the Asylum, till they finally reached the teleport room again.

"Right, go, let's go!" the Doctor called as they leapt onto the teleport beside Amy and Rory...who were kissing, "We're good, let's go!" and then he noticed that, "Oh, for God's sake!" he grumbled, snatching the controls from Rory and hitting the button, the couple kissing, oblivious, as Evy laughed and LJ clapped.

~8~

"You know," the Doctor shouted as he headed for the doors of the TARDIS, "You guys should _really_ have seen this coming. Thing about me and teleports, I've got really good aim. Pin-point accurate, in fact. Or to put it another way..." he pulled them open and stepped out with Evy and LJ, right into the Parliament, "Suckers!"

"Identify yourself!" the Daleks called, "Identify! Identify!"

"Well, it's me!" the Doctor grinned, "You know me! The Doctor and his Link! The Oncoming Storm? The Predator?"

"Titles are not meaningful in this context," Darla stated, staring at them, "Doctor who?"

"Doctor who?" the Prime Minister demanded.

"Doctor who?" asked the white Dalek.

Evy grinned, "Oh Oswin, you genius!" she cheered, "She erased us from the ENTIRE database," she turned to the Doctor, "She did it to _all_ of them!"

He laughed, _very_ pleased with that.

"DOCTOR WHO?" the Daleks cried, "DOCTOR WHO?"

He just smirked, "Fellas, you're _never_ going to stop asking," and headed back into the TARDIS with Evy and LJ.

_Best adventure ever!_ LJ squealed, clapping his hands. Sure, he'd been a little scared, when the Daleks nearly attacked, but he was with his parents, they would always protect him. And, once the fear faded, he was left all tingly and excited, feeling so alive…so _that_ was why his father did what he did…

The Time Lords ran to the console, ignoring Amy and Rory...still kissing...for a moment, before sending the box into the Vortex.

~8~

The Doctor spun around the console, deliriously happy, after they'd dropped the Ponds off. Evy sitting on the jump seat with LJ in her arms, bouncing on her lap as he clapped, gurgling excitedly about the adventure, regaling the TARDIS with a summary of what had happened...greatly exaggerating quite a few parts along the way...

The Doctor laughed and moved over to them, kneeling on the floor before Evy and smiled up at her. He reached out, putting a strand of hair behind her ear, before leaning in and kissing her…till something tugged on his bow-tie.

_Where next?!_ LJ asked, excited, eager to start the next adventure, despite the wide yawn he gave just then.

The Doctor beamed, "Wherever you want boyo!"

Evy smiled as well, "But first...I think bedtime," she told the boy, standing up.

' _But I want to hear the rest of the story!_ ' the TARDIS called in their minds, able to speak now that it was just the Time Lords in her console room.

"Later," Evy told the ship, "LJ needs to sleep."

' _Does he really need that much of it?_ ' the TARDIS wondered, ' _You two hardly ever sleep. Even when you're both in bed you..._ '

"Yes!" Evy cut in, blushing a bit at where the TARDIS was going with that, the Doctor laughing, "Yes he does, he's just a baby."

_But I'm not even...tired..._ LJ began, only to yawn again. It seemed this adventure had really tuckered him out.

Evy laughed, "Try that again without the yawn," she looked at the rotor, "Tomorrow. He'll finish the story tomorrow, ok?"

' _Fine,_ ' the TARDIS huffed.

_But mum..._ LJ whined, not seeming as ok with that as the old box, seemed he loved talking as much as his daddy did.

"Don't you 'but mum' me mister," she laughed as she walked out of the room with the Doctor smiling as he followed. She knew why he hadn't said anything, he loved watching her 'be a mother,' and she couldn't fault him for it. She loved watching him be a dad and this, she knew, was always the Doctor's favorite part of the day, when they got to put LJ to bed, because he got to sing his little boy a lullaby, "Bed, now," she added softly.

LJ squirmed, but said nothing more about it, proving just how tired he really was.

The Doctor opened the door to LJ's nursery, a light blue room with his little purple cot set up off to the side, some stuffed animals within. It was a very special cot...bigger on the inside. It allowed a parent to place as many stuffed animals or blankets or anything inside. And LJ was quite the cuddler.

Evy smiled, feeling LJ's breathing slow, already half-asleep and handed him gently to the Doctor, loving the soft smile that appeared on his face, the loving gaze he looked at his son with, it warmed her hearts more than anything to see them together. And when the Doctor started to quietly sing his son to sleep she melted, she admitted it. The Doctor had taken her quite literally when she'd once joked that HE would be the one putting the baby to sleep when they'd learned his singing calmed him even in the womb. Whenever LJ stirred or cried at night, the Doctor was the first one shooting out of the room to take care of him, it was endlessly sweet. She knew it was also sort of a bonding moment for the father and son. SHE'D carried LJ for more than a year, so now the Doctor always liked coming up with new ways to feel just as close to his son.

And that little boy just adored him.

She watched as the Doctor finished his lullaby, LJ completely knocked out, and set the boy gently in his cot, smiling down at the boy. She walked over, linking her arm with his as they just looked at their little miracle. LJ would never know just _how much_ they loved him.

"What is it?" the Doctor asked as he looked at her, feeling her grow a bit sad as she gazed upon their son.

She frowned, "Do you ever feel like we've condemned him to be alone, knowing there aren't anymore Time Lords out there?" she had to ask. It had been something that had been bothering her for a while, ever since she'd realized who 'Johnny' was when time fell apart, ever since she'd seen the friendly relationship he had with River...it made her wonder if he'd ever find love.

The Doctor nodded just a bit, admitting he too wondered that, "I suppose we'll just have to hope that his Link _is_ out there," he looked down at her, smiling, "And that she's just as impossible as you," and dropped a kiss to her forehead, making her smile, before he pulled away and gave her a curious look, "There's something else, isn't there?"

She nodded, "I think there's something we need to do."

He frowned, eyeing her, sensing a sort of...strong reluctance to do whatever it was she was thinking, "What?"

"Oswin gave me an idea…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love LJ :) And I really love seeing the Doctor be a father, he just loves children so much! :)
> 
> Next chapter...someone else receives an Evy-Smack, LJ show's his Evy side, and someone's a flirty drunk ;)


	4. Dinosaurs on a Spaceship (Part 1)

"Quick!" the Doctor called, ushering Evy and LJ over to the TARDIS, "Get in, quickly!" he opened the door, quite frantic really, "Bye then!" he called back, "Lovely meeting you. Sorry about the mess!"

Evy rushed in, they needed to get out of there, quickly, their trip to Egypt, 1334 BC hadn't quite gone to plan...not that anything ever did when the Doctor got involved. LJ had wanted to see a mummy, so off they went…but then there was a giant alien locust attack and they'd gotten involved and now...

' _What is it?!_ ' the TARDIS called, seeing how out of sorts her Idiot was, ' _Moony what happened?_ '

Evy would have laughed at that, the TARDIS had taken to calling them by the names she'd associated them with on House. She was Moony, the Doctor Idiot, Rory Pretty, and Amy Orangey-Girl. LJ was the only one who got a decent name...Cutie, which had made them laugh quite a bit when LJ grumbled at how he didn't want to be cute he wanted to be...well, Evy had scolded him for his potty mouth yet again...though this time she had a better idea of _where_ it came from.

"The Doctor's gotten himself into a bit of a bind again," she called to the box, getting the controls ready with LJ in her arms.

' _What did he do this time?_ ' the TARDIS sighed, exasperated.

Evy laughed, "What he always does, gone and made someone fall in love with him."

The Doctor now had the current queen of Egypt after him, wanting to 'show her gratitude' for his help in stopping the locusts. All of them were rather eager to get out as a result.

The Doctor had _just_ stepped a foot over the threshold when he found himself being pulled back out by the queen who pressed him against the corner of the door, "You think I'll let you leave without me," she murmured, her voice seductive, running her hands all over his chest, to which Evy raised an eyebrow, one that, had the Doctor been able to see, he would have dubbed her 'eyebrow of doom' as he'd called it once, "After what we've just been through?"

When she started running her hands through the Doctor's hair Evy turned to the small bouncy chair they'd set up for LJ and moved to put him in it…she needed him to be secure and safe and distracted while she killed someone.

"You've got the Egyptian people to rule, Queen Nefertiti," the Doctor tried to move himself away from her, but Nefertiti was relentless, pulling him back, "They'll need reassuring after that weapon-bearing giant alien locust attack we just stopped, rather brilliantly..." he jerked as Nefertiti's hand started to move lower…

Until the woman's arm was jerked back itself, Evy grabbing the woman's wrist and shoving her away.

The Doctor breathed a sigh of relief, "Thanks dear," he smiled at her, draping an arm around her shoulder, when an old-time car horn sounded, "Sorry!" he smiled embarrassedly, pulling out the psychic paper, "Got it set to temporal newsfeed..."

Evy glanced at him, "What's it say?"

He just grinned, "Oh, that's interesting!"

"What is?" Nefertiti stepped closer, curious.

"Nothing!" the Doctor stepped back from her, actually moving to hide behind Evy as though the small blonde woman could protect him, "Not at…" and then another message popped up, "Oh! Never been there," he took Evy's hand and pulled her into the TARDIS, "Exciting!" he pushed the doors back as they ran to the controls.

But before the doors could shut completely, Nefertiti pushed her way in…staring in awe at the room beyond…

_Daddy?_ LJ called, bouncing absently in his chair, the movement of the TARDIS being sent into the Vortex moving him on its own, his parents running around the console, _Why's the funny lady here?_

The Time Lords froze and turned to see Nefertiti leaning against the closed doors of the TARDIS, smirking.

~8~

The Doctor held LJ as he and Evy stood before a screen in the Military HQ of Earth in 2367, a lovely Indian woman beside them, explaining the situation at hand. There was a ship on screen, round, with what looked like beams sticking out of the center with flat ends on the tips, heading for the Earth.

"Craft size approximately ten million square kilometers," the woman explained.

"A ship the size of…" the Doctor smiled at LJ.

_Canada!_ he cheered, clapping.

"That's my boy," the Doctor laughed, tickling LJ's stomach.

"And it's heading for the Earth," Evy reminded them, smiling at her small family nonetheless, LJ loved proving how clever he was every chance he got, once proudly proclaiming himself the 'smartest baby in the Universe!' which had her shaking her head at his ego, JUST like his father, "At a very fast rate apparently."

"Right yes," the Doctor nodded, turning to the woman, "Any signs of life?"

"We sent up a drone craft, it took these readings," the woman brought them up.

The Doctor stepped closer to the screen, LJ with him, the boy excited to be able to see the readings, "Crikey Charlie, look at that boyo!" he pointed to a few bits of data for LJ.

Evy laughed, "I know _just_ the person who'd love a peek…"

"And the Ponds!" the Doctor shouted suddenly, catching a look in her mind of exactly _who_ she was thinking of…and he was _not_ at all happy.

Riddell was almost as bad a flirt as Amy had been at first…and he took no small amount of pleasure in trying to flirt with Evy...in front of him.

Evy smirked, "Yes, of course, we can't forget the Ponds!"

He nodded, the more women there for Riddell to flirt with the better, the less he'd focus on Evy, "Haven't seen them in ages," he nodded.

"Can you communicate with this craft?" Nefertiti, who had been standing just to the side of them all that time, questioned.

"She's with us," the Doctor remarked to the woman, "Good question, Neffy."

"No," the woman sighed, "No response on any channel in any recognized language. If it comes within 10,000 kilometres of Earth, we send up missiles."

"Oh, Indira," he frowned, "I liked you before you said missiles."

"How long do we have before that?" Evy squinted at the screen.

"Six hours, nineteen minutes," Indira replied.

"Right," the Doctor nodded, shifting LJ in his arms, "Better get a shift on then! Leave it with us. Come on then, Neffy! We're going to need help."

He turned and led them all back to the TARDIS.

~8~

Evy smirked, holding a finger to her lips to quiet LJ as they neared a man in hunting garb, sitting before a fire in the middle of the African plains circa the early 1900s, eating something. The boy fell silent, knowing his mummy was going to do something, when she shouted, "Lion!"

The man sitting by the fire eating some stew jumped about a mile in the air, grabbing his gun from beside him, and aiming it, looking around, before he turned to glare at Evy as she laughed.

The Doctor, smiling, was bobbing LJ, who seemed to be giggling at the funny man's reaction as well.

He moved to sit down by none other than John Riddell, "More stew?" he smirked, moving to ladle some more back into the man's bowl.

"Where have you been?!" Riddell grumbled, moving to eat some stew, watching as the Doctor passed LJ to Evy to sit in her lap, "Seven months! You said you were popping out for some liquorice! I had two very disappointed dancers on my hands! Not that I couldn't manage," he smirked, "Not that they held a candle to this lovely woman here," he winked at Evy, wiping the smirk off the Doctor's face.

"Riddell, listen," he cut in, changing the topic, "We've found...well, something."

"No, no, no, no, no, no. I shan't fall for that again…" he gave them a look, seeing their smirks, "What is it?"

"We haven't a clue," Evy smiled, taking LJ's hands in her own as he waved them, getting as excited as his father to investigate, "Want to find out?"

Riddell smiled.

~8~

In the Pond household, Amy and Rory were holding a ladder for an older man standing on it, changing a light bulb on the ceiling light.

"I think it's the fitting…" he remarked, eyeing the end of it.

"Dad," Rory sighed, "It's not the fitting, it just needs a new bulb."

"You're wobbling the ladder."

Rory held up his hands, "I'm not!"

"I don't want another loft incident."

Amy smiled up at him, "How's my side, Brian?"

He returned the smile, "Perfect as ever, Amy."

"Thank you, Brian!" she shot Rory a smug grin.

"I don't know what he said to you to make you marry him, but he's a lucky man," he told Amy…when suddenly a wind began to blow inside the room.

Amy and Rory looked up, hearing the wheezing of the TARDIS.

Rory looked at Amy, "Not here!" he hissed at her, "Not _now_!"

Amy just gave him a look before rushing over to a small desk, pulling a drawer open.

"Did you leave the back door open?" Brian wondered.

Amy grabbed something out of the drawer and ran back just as the TARDIS started to vaguely shape around them, "What is he doing?!" Rory asked.

Amy just shook her head, "I'm gonna kill him," she muttered…but not for showing up so unexpectedly. This had become a normal occurence in their lives, for the trio of Time Lords to just appear whenever they fancied. But for how long it had been since they'd last seen him, Evy, and LJ.

"Hello!" the Doctor called from the console as the TARDIS solidified around them, shocking Brian.

"Doctor…" Evy called, seeing the extra person with Rory and Amy when she looked over.

But he was too busy piloting the box, "You weren't busy, were you? Well, even if you were, it wasn't as interesting as this probably is."

"Doctor," she tried again.

"Didn't want you to miss it. Now, just a quick hop…"

She rolled her eyes and moved over to the bouncy chair, scooping up LJ into her arms.

"Everybody grab a torch!" the Doctor called, grabbing one and rushing out the door, taking Evy's hand and pulling her along with him.

Brian let the light bulb slip through his fingers and shatter on the floor.

Amy and Rory sighed, grabbing a torch and running out after them, all of them, the Ponds, the Time Lords, and Nefertiti and Riddell, stepping out into a dark corridor of a spaceship.

"Spiders," the Doctor remarked, spotting a web in a corner, "Don't normally get spiders in space."

"What the..." Brian breathed, stepping out.

"Don't move!" the Doctor pulled Evy behind him, striding over to Brian as Evy rolled her eyes, "D'you really think I'm that stupid I wouldn't notice? How did you get aboard? Transmat?" his eyes narrowed, "Who sent you?"

"Doctor…that's my dad," Rory told him quietly.

The Doctor turned to him, "Well, frankly, that's outrageous."

"What?"

"You think you can bring your dad along without asking? I'm not a taxi service, you know!"

"Doctor," Evy called, pulling his attention over to her and LJ, "You materialized around them," she told him.

"Ah…" he nodded, "Well, that's fine then, my mistake," he turned to smile at Brian, "Hello, Brian, how are you?" he shook Brian's hand, "Nice to meet you."

Evy rolled her eyes, leave it to him to forget they'd met the man already. Well, she supposed it _was_ understandable, from his timeline, he'd met the man once, almost 300 years ago. She'd only met the man once about 100 years ago, but she was always better at remembering those important to her friends. And she did find it rather adorable how he had gotten so protective just then, wanting to know what sort of threat Brian might have been against his family. She was quite thankful that having a child had made the Doctor just a little bit more aware in that area. He seemed to taking things just a bit...a tiny bit...more seriously, treated new people with more wariness than he used to, not as trusting, which was good. She understood that they couldn't blindly trust anyone like they had, not when they had LJ to think of.

"Welcome, welcome!" the Doctor spun around, smiling at everyone, "This is the gang. I've got a gang," he smiled at Evy, "Yes! Come on then, everyone!" he turned and walked off down the corridor.

"Tell him something, quick," Amy whispered to Rory before heading over to Evy, eager to see the dashing young man who seemed to grow ages every time she saw him.

"Hello Amy," Evy smiled, hugging the ginger quickly with her one free arm as she came over, leaving Rory to deal with his father, "How are you?"

Amy smiled, glancing at Rory before nodding, "We're fine…I have something for you actually."

"For me?"

"Well, for LJ here," she smiled at the boy, cooing as he reached out and tugged on her hair as it fell before him. She laughed and pulled what she'd taken from the dresser out of her pocket, a small little rattle for the baby to use.

She had been a bit...hesitant and reluctant to be around the boy in the Asylum. She and Rory had discovered shortly after LJ's first Christmas with them that she seemed unable to have children and, admittedly, it had made her resent Evy just a little. She had even found herself, at one point, actually wishing that Evy had been taken as the Silence and Kovarian had seemed to hope for. She knew that Evy had been right outside the door when she'd been taken in America, and couldn't help but wonder, once or twice, when her mind went to a dark place, what might have happened if Evy had gone into the bathroom with her, if the Silence and Kovarian would have taken Evy instead and left her alone, so she might have a child again.

But then she'd hate herself for thinking that. LJ was adorable and...she could adopt. The Time Lords...they only had each other. THEY deserved a child so much more. Not that she didn't think she deserved one too but...there were options for her and Rory, something she'd forgotten about when she'd kicked him out. But they'd talked about it, about adoption specifically, they weren't quite ready for it. But...they talked. And things were better now, and realizing that they had options had made her calm down and remember how precious LJ was to her, how special, and how much she loved him.

"Thank you," Evy laughed as LJ started to excitedly shake it, giggling at the noise.

"Oh nothing's too good for this handsome man," Amy tickled LJ's chin before the two headed off after the Doctor, Rory and Brian moving to join them.

They'd only gotten a few feet when a loud thumping shook the ship.

"Alright," Amy took a breath, "Where are we, and what is that noise? And hello!" she whacked the Doctor on the arm, "Ten months!"

She knew that Evy often had better timing than the Doctor, if she had been the one piloting they'd have seen them ten months ago. As it was, she didn't even know if it had been months for them, years for them, or even just hours…life with time travelers was SUCH hard work!

LJ reached for the Doctor, the man smiling as he took his son, "Orbiting Earth," he explained, taking his son's hand and shaking the rattle with him as the boy babbled in Baby about the funny noise and how it wasn't as nice as the TARDIS's funny noise but still fun, "Well, I say orbiting, more like pre-crashing on a spaceship, don't know, and hello, Pond," he reached out and gave Amy a one-armed hug, "Ten months, time flies. Never really understood that phrase," he started to walk again, taking Evy's hand as she walked beside them, introducing the two other wayward travelers that had come with them, "This is Neffy, this is Riddell. They're with us."

"With you?" Amy frowned, looking at the Time Lords, "They're with you, are they the new us? Is _that_ why we haven't seen you?"

"No, Amy," Evy reached out and squeezed Amy's arm, "They're just…friends of ours," well she wouldn't call 'Neffy' a friend...but then again she doubted the Doctor would call Riddell a friend either.

"They're not Ponds!" the Doctor nodded, "I thought we might need a gang, not really had a gang before, it's new," they slowed, hearing a grinding noise before them. They looked over to see a lift was moving to their level, "It's coming down."

"What is it?" Riddell tensed.

"No idea."

The doors of the lift opened and they all blinked, seeing a light flash on. There was a roaring and two large dinosaurs, Ankylosaurus, were visible within.

_AWESOME!_ LJ shook the rattle excitedly.

"Not possible!" Brian breathed.

"Run!" the Doctor shouted to the others who turned to rush off while HE just turned to grin down at LJ, "I know! Dinosaurs! On a spaceship!"

Evy rolled her eyes and pulled him away as the dinosaurs stepped out of the lift. They ran after the group, Nefertiti, Brian, and Rory in the lead, Riddell in the rear, covering them with his gun, Amy between them and the Time Lords.

"In here!" Nefertiti turned, spotting an opening in between two large crates.

They all rushed into the small niche, the Doctor putting a finger to his lips, handing LJ over to Evy, who quickly put her hand over the rattle, stilling it and putting a finger to her lips so LJ would see.

The Doctor leaned over the side, watching as the dinosaurs roared and walked up the corridor to their spot.

Riddell took out a rather large knife, "I could take one of them, short blow, up into the throat," he whispered.

Evy narrowed her eyes and smacked him on the back of the head, making the Doctor quietly snigger at the fact that it wasn't just _him_ that got smacked for being an idiot.

"Or not," he agreed with Evy's silent action, "We've just found dinosaurs, in space. We need to preserve them."

_Can I have a dinosaur?_ LJ looked up at his parents.

"No," Evy said quietly to him.

_But mum…_

"No."

_Daddy?_

The Doctor put his hand on LJ's back and looked at Evy, "Come on dear," he offered Evy a smile, "Just a little one?"

"No!"

He sighed, knowing better than to argue with her, "Sorry boyo," he dropped a kiss to LJ's head, "We'll try mummy next year for Christmas."

Evy rolled her eyes at him. Oh her boys, they would be the death of her.

The dinosaurs picked up their stomping, drawing their attention over as the dinosaurs walked away, down the corridor, swinging their tails, knocking some fixtures off the walls.

Riddell slowly moved into the corridor, nodding them out that it was safe.

"Ok," Rory began, "So…how? And whose ship?"

"There's so much to discover," the Doctor smiled, tickling LJ's chin, "Think how much wiser we'll be by the end of all this."

"Sorry," Brian shook his head, "Sorry. Are you saying dinosaurs are flying a spaceship?"

"Brian, please! That would be ridiculous."

Evy raised her hand to whack him for being rude…when LJ whacked the Doctor in the shoulder with his rattle. Evy couldn't help it, she burst out laughing, _there_ was that little bit of her that she KNEW had to be in their child. He was so like the Doctor she was almost afraid there was nothing of her in him. Her prayers had been answered.

_Don't be mean daddy,_ LJ grumbled.

"Listen to your son dear," Evy smiled as the Doctor pouted, moving beside him to give him a peck, making him grin widely. She knew he pouted more than he normally would JUST to get a kiss out of it, but she was NOT about to stop him, she rather loved their kisses too, "They're most likely the cargo," she explained to Brian.

"Did we mention missiles?" the Doctor added.

"Missiles?!" Brian gasped.

Rory quickly made motions for the Doctor to shut up.

"Didn't want to worry you," the Doctor continued, not noticing, "Anyway, six hours is a lifetime...not literally a lifetime, that's what we're trying to avoid. And we're all really clever! Let's see what we can find out. Come on!" he took Evy's hand and headed down the corridor when LJ reached out for him again.

Evy smiled, "I think someone wants to be with his daddy this time," she remarked.

The Doctor positively _beamed_ at that. He _loved_ the fact that his son loved him so much. He pulled the papoose out of his coat pocket, feeling that because of the dinosaurs, they might be running quite a bit and he wanted to make sure that LJ would be safe. He quickly strapped it on, Evy helping LJ into it, facing _out_ this time as they knew he'd love to be able to see any and all dinosaurs they might encounter.

Evy took his hand and they continued on, spotting a room filled with banks of equipment, overgrown with vines and covered in spider webs. She frowned and walked over to a computer, using a large leaf to swat off the spider webs that covered it.

"How many dinosaurs do you think are on here?" Amy wondered.

Evy flashed her sonic on the computer, the screen popping to life as she peered down at it, the Doctor coming beside her.

"Oh, well done," he grinned, Brian and Rory moving to stand on either side of them, "Whoever you are."

"We need to see the engines," she murmured and the screen changed, bringing up the requested information, "Oh."

"Thank you, computer," the Doctor patted it, "Look at that, different sections have different engines, but these look like the primary clusters, eh boyo?" he looked at LJ.

"Where are we now, though?" Evy moved away from the computer to look around at the lush, forest-like area around them.

"We need to get down to these engines..." the Doctor pointed to the screen…and suddenly…

Evy stiffened, her back to the computer, "They disappeared, didn't they?" she asked without even having to turn around.

"Yep," Amy nodded.

Evy sighed, shaking her head before turning to see the Doctor, Brian, and Rory were gone, along with LJ. She rolled her eyes and headed back over to the computer, looking at it.

"What happened?" Nefertiti looked around, as though they might be elsewhere in the room.

"Some sort of teleport…" Evy mumbled, trying to locate them on the computer, unfortunately it seemed that the teleport cut off, meaning they could be anywhere if the computer had a glitch to it. And since it cut off, they wouldn't be able to follow the same route.

"Oh, great!" Amy huffed.

~8~

The Doctor looked around at the beach he, Rory, and Brian were now standing on.

"And that LJ," he began, shaking his head with a sigh, "Is called a teleport."

"What?!" Rory looked around.

"We're outside," Brian remarked, stunned, staring at the ocean under the overcast sky, "We're on a beach."

"Teleport!" the Doctor continued to lament, "Oh, I hate teleports. Must have activated on my voice."

"Ah, yes," Brian rounded on him angrily, "Well, thank you, Arthur C. Clarke! Teleport, obviously, I mean, we're on a spaceship, with dinosaurs, why _wouldn't_ there be a teleport? In fact why don't we just teleport now?!"

And then he stalked off.

LJ blinked and looked up at his father, _Is he alright?_

"Good question," the Doctor nodded and turned to Rory, "Is he alright?"

"He hates travelling," Rory explained, "Makes him anxious. He only goes to the paper shop and golf."

"What did you bring him for?"

"I didn't! Why can't you just phone ahead, like any normal person?"

_Normal's boring!_ LJ gurgled.

Before the Doctor could repeat his son's wisdom, Brian walked over, "Can somebody tell me where we are, now?"

The Doctor held out his tongue, getting a taste of the air, LJ glancing up at him and doing the same though it looked more like he was sticking his tongue out at the humans than anything, "Well, it's not Earth. Doesn't taste right, too metallic."

Rory frowned and looked down at the beach, crouching down to feel the sand as a large bird flew over them, screeching, making Brian look up, "Is that a kestrel?"

"I do hope so," the Doctor nodded, putting a hand on LJ's stomach.

_Pterodactyls!_ LJ clapped, _Daddy! Daddy can I have a Pterodactyls instead?_

The Doctor chuckled, patting LJ's stomach, ' _I don't think mummy would be happy with that._ '

LJ pouted.

Rory stood up, "The beach is humming."

"Is it?" the Doctor crouched down, resting a hand to the sand, "Oh, yes!" he stood, smiling, "Right, well, don't just stand there, you two, dig!" he brushed his hands off, "We're going to look at rocks," he told them, as LJ shook his rattle, "Love a rock," before they walked off.

"Dig with what?" Rory called after him.

The Doctor and LJ, in an adorable move, held up their hands in an 'I don't know' fashion as the Doctor kept walking. Rory sighed and shook his head...when Brian pulled something out of his pocket.

"Ah!" he smiled, unfolding a collapsible trowel, "Well!" before he knelt down to dig.

"...did you just have that on you?" Rory asked him.

"Of course! What sort of a man doesn't carry a trowel? Put it on your Christmas list."

Rory squatted down, "Dad, I'm 31. I don't have a Christmas list anymore."

"We do!" the Doctor called from a distance, holding up both arms, LJ mimicking him moments later.

Rory just gave the Doctor a look and a thumb's up when Brian struck something metal under the sand, "There's a floor under this beach!"

Rory got up and headed over to the Doctor who seemed to be too far away to hear, "Doctor! Doctor!"

~8~

Amy was standing beside Evy as the woman led the way through the ship, exploring it, trying to find another working teleport with her sonic, Nefertiti and Riddell behind them.

"There are clearly more than just two of those creatures," Riddell commented, taking a swig from a flask.

Evy just reached over and slapped him on the back of the head, making him spit it out, not having expected that, "Put it away Riddell," she ordered, "We're going to need you sober."

He gave her a smirk, "But you love me drunk."

She rolled her eyes, "You love _yourself_ drunk. And the Doctor hates you drunk."

"Why?" Amy frowned.

Evy looked at her, "He's a flirty drunk."

Amy nodded, that was _all_ that had to be said for her to understand the problem. The Doctor was very jealous of other men when it came to Evy, the number of 'enemies' he'd made over the years solely because they 'hit on,' or flirted, or complimented, or even _talked_ to Evy was ridiculous.

"And anyway it's medicinal," Riddell countered, "And I don't take orders from females."

"Then learn," Nefertiti cut in, the three women stopping and crossing their arms at him, reminding him he was very much outnumbered, "Any man who speaks to me that way, I execute."

Riddell just grinned, "You're very welcome to try."

Amy shook her head, "I see what you mean."

Evy could only give a little grin, perhaps Nefertiti would be able to distract Riddell from her this time.

"Sorry," Amy turned to Nefertiti again, "What was your name again?"

"Lady of the Two Lands, wife of the Great King Amenhotep, Queen Nefertiti of Egypt," she introduced.

"I'll be damned..." Riddell breathed, staring at her.

Amy gasped, excited, "Oh, my God! Queen Nefertiti! I learned _all_ about you at school. You're awesome! Big fan, high five!" she held up a hand but Nefertiti just stared at it, "Yeah, bit behind on that. You're _really_ famous."

"Shh!" Evy cut in quickly, "Listen."

They quieted, hearing a loud rumbling-snort sound. Riddell lowered his torch, the beam of light landing on a sleeping Tyrannosaurus Rex on the ground before them.

"How did THAT happen?" Evy shook her head.

"What?" Amy whispered, afraid to wake the beast.

She looked at Amy, "We just walked into a _dinosaur nest_ …and the Doctor isn't even here!"

Amy smiled, this _was_ just like a situation the Doctor would have gotten them into, "Maybe you're spending too much time around your boys," she nudged Evy, "They're rubbing off on you."

Evy rolled her eyes but had to smile, no matter what sort of luck or habit rubbed off on her, she wouldn't give up her time with her boys for anything.

"This is a nest?" Nefertiti looked around.

Evy sighed, "The T-Rex isn't full sized yet, it's a baby…meaning the _mother_ will be close by, and its siblings. It's a nest. And mummy dearest won't be too happy to see us near her babies," she knew THAT better than anyone...except perhaps Amy.

"I propose a retreat," Riddell hissed, turning to head back the way they came, only to hear more dinosaurs in the distance, "Or perhaps forwards."

"I suppose we've no other option," Evy sighed. She really had to be better at fixing her Vortex Manipulator when it broke. It was still sitting in the TARDIS, waiting to be repaired from their trip to the Asylum. But in her defense, her family was rather distracting, LJ and the Doctor, in VASTLY different ways...

"Just don't wake the baby," Amy added.

They slowly made their way forward, Riddell stepping over the neck of the sleeping T-Rex…wincing as he stepped on a piece of paper that crinkled. The dinosaur snorted, but didn't wake, thankfully. Riddell sighed with relief before pulling his other leg over, nearly losing balance. He grinned as he stood straight, pleased with himself.

The women just looked unimpressed, Nefertiti even shaking her head at him before they continued on.

"Who's he again?" Amy asked Evy quietly.

"John Riddell," Riddell cut in, having heard her, "Big game hunter on the African plains. I'm sure you've heard of me, too."

Amy stared at him blankly, "No."

"You clearly have some alarming gaps in your education."

"Or men who hunt defenseless creatures just don't impact on history. Face it, she," she nodded at Nefertiti, "Is _way_ cooler than you."

"And you, Amy?" Nefertiti looked back at her, smiling for the praises, "Are you also a queen?"

"Oh yes," Evy laughed, linking her arm with Amy's, "She certainly is."

Queen of the Flirts.

~8~

The Doctor was standing before a computer, hidden away in the rocks, pulling up the engine reading, "See!" he pointed for LJ more so than the others, knowing the baby Time Lord would have a better time understanding the situation and readings than two adult humans, "Metal floor, screens in rocks. It was just a short-range teleport. We're still on the ship."

"No," Brian frowned, "We're outside, on a beach."

"No, it's part of the ship dad," Rory explained.

"Don't be ridiculous."

"Well, it _is_ quite ridiculous," the Doctor nodded, "Also brilliant. That's why the system teleported us here, I wanted the engines," he turned and threw his arms open, "This is the engine room! Hydro-generators."

Brian turned to Rory, "I have literally no idea what he's saying."

_Water power!_ LJ tried to explain. The Doctor had to laugh at how the men couldn't understand Baby.

"A spaceship powered by waves," Rory grasped.

The Doctor was mildly impressed, but stepped forward and put his arms around Brian and Rory's shoulders, LJ just hanging between them, "Fabulously impossible! Oh, think of the things we could learn from this ship if we manage to stop it being blown to pieces."

"Plus, not dying," Rory added.

"Bad news is, can't shut the wave systems down in time. Takes..." he turned and looked up at the Pterodactyls flying overhead, "Takes way too long."

And they'd never be able to shut them down with the Pterodactyls ready to attack them. Which reminded him, he should _probably_ get LJ out of there before Evy killed him, despite how much he knew the boy would want to see the flying dinosaurs.

"If these are the engines, there must be a control room," Rory guessed, looking at the readings.

"Exactly," he nodded, "That's what we need to find," before whispering, "Now, what do we do about the things that aren't kestrels?"

They slowly turned to see the flying creatures getting closer, screeching. Most definitely _not_ birds.

"Oh, my Lord," Brian gaped, "Are those Pterodactyls?"

"Yes," the Doctor nodded, "On any other occasion, I'd be thrilled. Exposed on a beach with my son…" he put his hand on LJ's stomach once more, holding him closer, "Less than thrilled. We should be going," he reached out and grabbed their hands, running along the beach, taking the lead, hurrying for the cliffs.

"Where?" Brian shouted behind him.

"Definitely away from them!"

" _That's_ the plan?!" Rory cried.

"That's the plan! Amendments welcome! Move away from the Pterodactyls!"

"I think they might be noticing!"

"Amended plan, run!" he put his hand on LJ's stomach, holding the boy close, the boy who was laughing and cheering despite the danger.

"Can't we just teleport or something? Rory gasped.

"No, local teleport's burned out on arrival. There's an opening in the cliffs over there!"

Rory looked over his shoulder to see his father lagging behind, "Come on, run!"

"I'm trying!" Brian shouted.

Just as the Pterodactyls swooped down they made it inside the nearest cave, panting...well, the men were panting, LJ was shaking his rattle excitedly, laughing at the creatures flying past the doorway but unable to get in.

"Are you alright?" Brian looked at Rory as he fell against a wall.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he panted before looking at the Doctor, "What do we do now? There's no way back out there."

_Explore!_ LJ shouted/ordered, shaking his rattle.

"Exactly boyo!" the Doctor cheered, dropping a kiss to LJ's head as he fussed at the action, "Through the cave, come on!" he turned and led them on, deeper into the cave, but stopped when they heard a loud thumping, "That suggestion was a work in progress..."

"We're trapped!" Brian exclaimed.

_Duh,_ LJ grumbled.

The Doctor had to agree, "Yes, thanks for spelling it out."

"Doctor, whatever's down there is coming this way..." Rory murmured.

_No..._ LJ huffed, starting to bite on the handle of his rattle, _Really?_

The Doctor smiled at that, there was Evy's sarcasm, "Yes, spelling it out seems to be hereditary. Wonderful!"

"That sound's getting nearer!" Brian spoke again.

The Doctor backed up till he, Rory, and Brian, had nowhere to go as two large, yellow robots appeared before them.

"We're very cross with you!" one pointed a weaponed arm at the Doctor, its voice mechanical, nasally.

~8~

"Idiot," Evy muttered, shaking her head. She and the Doctor had been keeping tabs on each other. While he and LJ were going to try to head _up_ through the ship, she was leading Amy, Nefertiti, and Riddell _down_ through the ship, trying to meet in the middle.

"Bit of weed killer wouldn't go amiss in here," Amy remarked as they entered another room overgrown with vines and other plants, much like the first room that they'd found the computer in.

Evy walked over to a computer terminal she could make out through the vines.

"Whoever was running this vessel left in a hurry," Riddell commented.

"Maybe a plague came and took them," Nefertiti suggested.

"No, there'd be corpses and bones."

"Unless the animals ate them," she countered, making Riddell smirk.

"Whoa, Chuckle Brothers, lighten up, would ya?" Amy cut in.

"They're right though," Evy called, "There _should_ be bodies...those cryotanks we passed on the way," she glanced at Amy, "Recognize them yet?"

Amy shook her head, Evy had asked her that as soon as they spotted the first empty stations in the halls.

Evy turned and pressed a few buttons, turning the computer and the lights on.

"How did you know how to do that?" Nefertiti asked, the three walking over to her.

"She's just brilliant," Amy remarked, hugging Evy from the side, glad they could see again.

"Just you wait," Evy murmured, slipping a small sphere into a tray, inserting it into the computer, audio coming on.

"117 years..." a man began to speak.

"Well, found the data records."

"Ship's owners?" Riddell frowned.

"Yep," she nodded, hitting some more buttons, trying to clear the picture that was little more than static on the monitor.

"...will remain cryogenic..." the voice continued.

Riddell looked behind him, hearing a low roar, aiming his torch at the corridor, a distant shadow there.

"...space sleep...I will continue to work...far beyond our mapping..."

"Almost..." Evy frowned, twisting a knob, getting picture back.

"Look!" Nefertiti gasped, seeing a Silurian appear on screen, "It's beautiful."

"I can't tell how far we have come," the Silurian continued, "Far enough to avoid the destructive impact forecast for our planet. Far enough for me to feel a profound sense of loss."

"What _is_ that?" Riddell grimaced.

"Recognize it now Amy?" Evy nudged her with a small smile.

"Silurian," Amy breathed.

~8~

The Doctor walked before Rory and Brian, his hands holding LJ's, playing with him, making funny noises and faces to keep him calm with the two robots escorting them. Not that the boy needed much calming, he was far too excited to see where they were going.

"You're going straight on the naughty step!" one of the robots stated.

"What's the escape plan?" Brian whispered out of the corner of his mouth, trying to be secretive.

"Why do we want to escape?" the Doctor glanced at him.

_Robots are cool!_ LJ agreed, making the Doctor laugh, neither he nor Evy knew where he got his love of robotics from. They both hated robots, they always tried to kill them.

They blamed it on K9.

"They have us _hostage_!" Brian argued.

"They're taking us somewhere," Rory countered, "We might learn from it."

"Oh, you see?" the Doctor reached out and pinched Rory's cheek, "So clever. I missed you, Rory!"

"Don't do that."

"What if they kill us?" Brian hissed.

"They wouldn't do that!" the Doctor waved him off, before recalling just _who_ was attached to his front and turning to the robots, needing to be certain, "You're not going to kill us, are you, Rusty?"

"Who are you calling Rusty?!" the second robot exclaimed.

"Have you seen yourself lately?"

"You try being on this ship for two millennia, see how YOUR paintwork does!"

"Don't listen to him," the first robot told the second, "He's just being mean 'cos we captured him."

"Oh, my goodness..." Brian breathed, stunned, ignoring the bickering robots behind him.

Rory frowned and turned around, gaping, "Whoa."

The Doctor glanced over, smiling as he saw a Triceratops ambling up to them, "Ooh. Herbivore, Brian, don't panic. Triceratops. Ha! Beautiful."

_Tricey!_ LJ laughed, reaching out towards the dinosaur. The Doctor had to laugh at that as well, LJ seemed to love giving people and things nicknames. Like how Oswin had been Ozzy. He blamed the TARDIS for that one.

"Shall I shoot it?" the first robot asked the second.

"We're not supposed to shoot the creatures, stupid!" it replied.

"Stop calling me stupid!"

The dinosaur roared right in LJ's face, but the baby just giggled and put a small hand on its horn, petting it as his father cooed at it like a puppy, neither Time Lord afraid at all but rather loving it, "'Rargh' yourself! Hello, cutie-pie. Who's a lovely Tricey then, eh? See that LJ?" he moved to stroke the snout with his son, "Who's a good boy! You are. Yes, you are. Yes, you are."

_Can I have a Tricey then daddy?_ LJ asked.

' _I think ALL dinosaurs are off the table boyo,_ ' he sighed.

To be honest, HE would have liked a dinosaur too...actually HAD wanted one as a child, now that he thought about it.

' _Like father, like son eh?_ ' Evy's voice called in his head, making him beam.

"What do I do?!" Brian stiffened as the dinosaur turned to him, moving closer, "What do I do?!" until it was near enough to sniff the man's pants, "What's it doing?!"

"You don't have any vegetable matter in your trousers, do you, Brian?" the Doctor asked.

"Only my balls."

Rory covered his eyes with his hand, shaking his head.

The Doctor eyed Brian oddly, LJ just tilting his head in question, much like the last incarnation of Evy had done, "I'm sorry?"

"Golf balls," Brian pulled two from his pocket, "Grassy residue."

"What're you carrying those around for?" Rory shook his head.

Brian couldn't answer though as the triceratops licked his face, leaving a trail of saliva that made him grimace, "Urgh! Eurgh! Argh!"

"Aw, bless," the Doctor smiled as LJ laughed.

"Get it away from me!"

"Throw one."

"Really?" Brian looked at the dinosaur, "Is this what you want? Is it?" he threw a golf ball away, the Triceratops running after it.

_Bye Tricey!_ LJ waved at it.

The Doctor patted Brian on the back, "And breathe out," he turned to the robots, grinning, "Right! Take us to your leader."

Rory shot him a look, "Really?"

"Too good to resist," he laughed.

...and then LJ whacked him on the arm with his rattle, making Rory laugh and the Doctor grumble.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really wanted to bring out the Evy in LJ when he was with the Doctor because, I feel like...when it's the three of them, we see how much he's like the Doctor because of Evy, how she comments on it. But just him and the Doctor, he can see the bits of Evy better :)
> 
> Next chapter...what have the Time Lords been up to between the Asylum and now? Will Rory and Brian still be the ones piloting the ship? Will more of LJ's 'Evy side' show up?


	5. Dinosaurs on a Spaceship (Part 2)

The three women and Riddell were standing before the computer, watching the Silurian continue his log, "Of the 50 species loaded, only one has had any difficulty in surviving. All the others are thriving and we expect them to be able to repopulate."

"We're on an ark," Amy reasoned.

"A Silurian one," Evy nodded.

"Lizard people herding dinosaurs on to a space ark?!" Riddell scoffed, "Absolute tommy-rot."

"Only an idiot denies the evidence of their own eyes," Nefertiti glared at him.

"Egyptian queen or not, I shall put you across my knee and spank you."

Evy just barely managed to stifle a snort, yes, Nefertiti was useful for something it seemed. At least now the man wasn't threatening that with HER. If he did...well...the Doctor would NOT be happy.

Amy, though, just rolled her eyes, "Oh, Lord."

"Try and I'll snap your neck in a heartbeat," the queen glared.

"Mmm," Riddell eyed her appreciatively, "Well, they certainly bred firecrackers in your time."

"Aw, no, no, no," Amy cut in, "Please, don't start flirting. I will not have flirting companions!"

Evy had to laugh at that, now Amy knew how the Doctor felt.

"Evy is the Doctor's queen," Nefertiti remarked, "He trusts her, so do I."

"If this ship was built by..." Riddell frowned.

"Silurians," Evy supplied.

"Where are they?"

Amy looked at Evy, "Surprisingly good question," she had to agree.

Evy turned to the computer, "Display life signs for Homo Reptilia, Silurians, or Ecodines..."

They frowned at the 'No Life Signs Detected' reading, only Evy's frown seemed more resigned, as though she'd worked out what had happened but was hoping it hadn't.

"But where have they gone?" Amy wondered.

"Perhaps they found another world, left the ship," Nefertiti suggested.

"I doubt it," Evy shook her head, "The dinosaurs are still onboard, they wouldn't' just leave them. And the fact that it's headed back to Earth...whatever happened happened too suddenly to change the ship's flight program."

"What's changed between then and now?" Amy frowned.

"Computer, show us the life signals from the launch of the ship," the picture came up, "And show us the life signs now," quite a few blinking lights disappeared, "Thousands less."

"But why?" Amy shook her head, "I mean..."

"Show both images simultaneously."

"What are you looking for?" Riddell frowned.

"Something different, a change of some sort. Something that's here now that wasn't before..."

"The center," Nefertiti pointed.

"Computer, zoom in to the center," Evy ordered and the program did, "Oh, no..."

"What is it?" Riddell stiffened.

"There's another spacecraft," Amy realized.

Evy nodded, "This ship's been boarded before."

~8~

The robots led the men, and LJ, to another ship attached to the main one, a gate blocking the entrance. The Doctor leaned in, looking through, "Love what you've done with the place down here," he told the man he could vaguely see lying inside the darkened room.

"Let him in," the man ordered, "Open the gate."

One robot pressed a button on the wall and the gate moved up, opening, the Doctor stepping through, his hand on LJ's stomach as the boy silently chewed on his rattle handle, knowing his father had just stepped them both into a potentially dangerous situation, wanting to be cautious like his mummy was so he could help his daddy like he'd probably need to do when he acted like an idiot.

The Doctor rolled his eyes at his son's thoughts, but turned around when the gate closed behind him, cutting them off from Rory and Brian, "It's fine," he told them, "It's fine."

"He's not interested in YOU," the first robot poked Rory.

"Look," Rory turned to the bot, "You need to learn some manners."

"No, YOU need to learn some manners!"

"No, YOU do!"

"No, YOU do! Mr...Manners!"

_Should I hit them daddy?_ LJ wondered up at his father, holding up his rattle, it was what mummy would do to shut people up, well, no, his mummy would first try to blast her sonic up, the high-pitched noise stopping others, but he didn't have a sonic...yet...he was working on wearing his daddy down about that.

The Doctor couldn't help but laugh at that, _just_ like his mother he was. He didn't know why Evy kept comparing the two of _them_. Every time LJ did something, she'd always turn to him and say 'your son!' but really, he saw quite a lot of Evy in the boy.

' _No, no,_ ' he projected to LJ, not wanting to give away the fact that they were communicating to the man, not knowing who the man was.

He stepped further into the room, wanting a better look at the man lying on the bed. He was an old man, with long hair, stubble, dressed in black. There was machinery set up around him, medical machinery, draped in cobwebs. This was a very disused infirmary it appeared.

The Doctor looked over at a speaker, hearing piano music drifting through it, "Fantasia in F Minor for four hands."

"You know it?" the man rasped.

"Know it?" he laughed, holding up a hand, "Say hello to hands three," and pointed at his other hand resting on LJ's stomach, "And four! Evy got Schubert to let me play with him," he pouted, the man had been quite taken with Evy and, as a favor to her, had allowed _him_ to play, "Kept tickling me to try and put me off, wanted to show me up in front of Evy. Franz the Hands," now he was frowning…till he remembered exactly what Evy had done to the man when he'd lived up to that name. He knew she had a hell of a right hook from when she'd taken down the pirate on Avery's ship and it was FAR more amusing to have seen her do the same while heavily pregnant. He laughed, "Oh, that takes me back. Well, this is...cozy," he stepped closer to the equipment.

"It's fate you came."

"Is it? I'm the Doctor…"

"Yes, I know," the man cut in, "I'm Solomon."

The Doctor turned as a computer beeped, a purple light scanning both him and LJ, "What's that?" he turned to Solomon, demanding an answer, if that light had somehow harmed his son…

"System malfunction, ignore it."

The Doctor tensed, not wanting to ignore it, but his own internal system telling him that the light had been nothing more than a scan of some sort, "What happened to you?" he asked, eyeing the man.

"I was attacked. Three raptors. They cornered me. The robots rescued me, but it was nearly too late."

"Ah, yes. The robots," he glanced out the gate, "They're...unusual."

_They're funny!_ LJ gurgled, though it came out garbled even in Baby as he was gumming his rattle handle.

"I got them cheap, from a concession on Illyria Seven. The robots did as best they could with my legs, but...you can help me so much more."

He nodded, realizing now why the man had wanted to see _him_ , "Oh, a 'doctor' Doctor! I see," he breathed on his hands, rubbing them together, "Let's have a look," he lifted the cloth away from the man's legs before dropping it quickly and putting a hand over LJ's eyes before lifting it again to look for himself at the terrible damage.

_Let me see!_ LJ grumbled, squirming, _I want to see!_

"They chewed through part of the bone in my legs," Solomon added.

The Doctor nodded, yes, that was quite obvious, "Yes, very nasty."

_Daddy!_ the boy reached his little hands to the Doctor's trying to pull the hand away, _Let me see!_

"But you can repair them," Solomon said, more of a statement than a question.

The Doctor dropped the cloth, pulling his hand away from LJ's eyes as well as the boy huffed at having missed it, and looked at Solomon, "If you tell me how you came by so many dinosaurs."

Solomon, instead of replying, turned to the robots, "Injure the older one."

"What?" the Doctor ran for the gate, seeing one of the robots turn to Brian and shoot him in the shoulder, the man falling to the ground as Rory ran to his side.

"Dad!" Rory dropped to his knees, checking on his father, "Dad...it's alright, dad, it's ok, it's ok."

The Doctor looked at Rory who nodded up at him, Brian would be fine, small injury that he'd be able to take care of with a few of the alien medical supplies he'd picked up on their trips. The Doctor turned and strode back to Solomon, "I don't respond well to violence, Solomon."

_Meanie!_ LJ added, his eyes as narrowed, frowning as much as a baby could.

The Doctor nodded, agreeing with his son.

"And I don't like questions, Doctor," Solomon sneered, "You boarded without my permission. Now, fix me or the next bolt will be fatal."

~8~

"Amy phone," Evy called, getting frustrated with the cameras. She'd hacked into the ship's security and was trying to find the Doctor and LJ, but with no specific location to try, it was all guesswork and trial and error. The Link was odd like that, you could feel where your Link was, but not a specific location. If the Doctor hadn't been thinking of the Dalek Asylum, she would have had to track him down in the TARDIS. She wanted to know where her Link and son were, and she wanted to know now.

Amy tossed her the mobile, the woman flashing it with the sonic quickly, "Call Rory," she tossed it back, turning to continue her search. Now she was starting to worry because, clearly, from the Doctor's thoughts, he had gotten cut off from Rory and Brian and there were two robots there who had absolutely no qualms with shooting on command.

Honestly, what was it with the robots they ran into trying to kill them all the time?

"Hello, Mrs.," Rory answered, Amy having put the phone on speaker.

"Where are you?" Amy asked.

"Still onboard. Met some Pterodactyls and some rusty robots, that I'm going to MELT DOWN!"

"Tell him about the ship," Evy added, with all her focus on finding the Doctor and Rory, she'd forgotten to tell the Doctor about the ship. It would be too suspicious for the Doctor to suddenly know what they'd learned about the ship while dealing with that awful man, Solomon. And she wanted to make sure Rory and Brian were aware and on guard as well, the Doctor might not tell them and she couldn't project her mind all the way from there to the humans.

"Rory, this is a Silurian ship," Amy began, "And that's not all…"

~8~

The Doctor stood before Solomon, some surgical tools in his hand, LJ shifting excitedly in his papoose to see his daddy in action, being a real doctor, fixing someone.

"How did you get onboard, Doctor?" Solomon looked at him.

"Oh, I never talk about myself with a gun pointed at me or _my son_ ," he said the last part harshly, before patting LJ on the head as the boy told him to get on with it, clearly as impatient as he could be, "Let's talk about you. Your cozy little craft embedded in a vast, old ship," he started to work on Solomon's legs, trying to keep everything at an angle that would keep LJ from seeing too much.

If the boy had nightmares about the state of Solomon's legs...Evy would kill him.

"Very observant."

"I'm a Sagittarius. Probably."

"I'm transporting it to the Roxborne Peninsula."

"The commerce colony. You're a trader."

"I search out opportunities for profit across the nine galaxies."

"Ah, the purple light. That's what it was. An IV system, identify and value: the database of everything across space and time, allocated a market value. Argos for the universe. You were trying to find out how much I'm worth."

He didn't bother asking about how much LJ was worth, he knew, his son was priceless to him and Evy. He was literally everything to them. All they had was each other, the TARDIS, and their son and…to be quite honest, brutally honest…they could live without the TARDIS if it came to it, but not without their son. If they lost him, having just gotten him…it would destroy them.

"Would you like to know?" Solomon smirked, turning to the computer as it ran through the information.

'No Identification Found' popped up on the screen, making the Doctor smile. Evy's plan had worked, of course it had.

After Oswin had deleted them from the Dalek database, it had given her the idea to delete them both from the databases of the Universe. They didn't want another Silence incident, not with LJ there, they couldn't afford for the Doctor to get too big again. So they'd done the hardest thing they'd _ever_ had to do. Even harder than when he'd sent Evy away for 200 years in his timeline.

They left LJ with Jack.

For about 97 years.

To _them_ at least.

To LJ it had only been half a day, at most, to spend with his beloved Godfather. They'd gone out there, to every corner of the Universe, deleting themselves. They'd given themselves 200 years to do it, knowing they would barely be able to stand an hour without LJ but knowing it needed to be done. The motivation of seeing their child again had driven them to complete their goals in 97 though. The Doctor was about 1,200 now, Evy was nearly 1,000 years old. But they'd done it and gone right to get LJ…only to find Jack had dressed him up as a miniature version of himself, complete with WWII jacket and a mini, but thankfully fake, Vortex Manipulator.

LJ, having spent the day with Jack, had then proclaimed that, when he grew up, he didn't want to be 'the Predator' anymore. No, now he wanted to be 'the Captain.'

They were half-relieved he'd given up on the Predator, and half-hoping he'd grow out of the Captain. Though they doubted it, they'd run into his older self, well, been called to Luna University where River Song was studying to meet the woman and be introduced as his parents, and HE was called the Captain. But still, time could be rewritten and even if it didn't, it was a fine name if he did pick it in the future.

"You don't exist," Solomon told the Doctor, pulling him from his thoughts, "It's never done that."

"That's me," the Doctor remarked, "Worthless."

_Not to me!_ LJ grumbled at how stupid his daddy was being to say that, _Or mummy! You're my daddy!_

' _Good boy LJ,_ ' he heard Evy remark to their son in his mind, ' _Whack daddy good for me._ '

He had to smile when LJ hit him on the elbow with his little rattle...twice...before shaking his head and turning to Solomon, "Unlike these creatures you have onboard. Very valuable...given they're extinct," he turned the device in his hand on and it whirred, making Solomon groan in pain, "Done, sit up. Very slowly," he moved to help Solomon sit as Rory neared the gate with his phone.

"Doctor?" he called, holding out his mobile, "It's Amy and Evy."

"I need to take this, it's the Mrs.," the Doctor told Solomon, taking the phone, "Evy, Amy."

"This is an ark," Amy said quickly.

"A _Silurian_ ark," Evy added, "They were trying to find another planet. Seems not all of them went underground when the moon came into alignment..."

"Where are they now?" the Doctor frowned.

"Gone."

"None onboard," Amy sighed, "I mean, _thousands_ of stasis pods, all empty."

"And Doctor…" Evy hesitated, "The only difference on the ship...is the ship you're in."

He nodded to himself, "I'll see you soon," he promised them before ending the call and handing Rory the phone back through the gate, his eye on Solomon, "Be ready," he told Rory quietly, who nodded.

The Doctor turned back to see Solomon was now able to stand with help of a cane, "The pain in my legs...it's gone. I can move them. Thank you, Doctor."

"What did you do to the Silurians?" he asked, serious, crossing his arms before LJ, a move the baby tried to imitate.

"We ejected them. The robots woke them from cryo-sleep a handful at a time, and jettisoned them from the airlocks. We must have left a trail of dust and bone."

The Doctor closed his eyes, shaking his head at the man, "Because you wanted the dinosaurs," he moved to sit down on a nearby stool, dejected.

_He's a very nasty man,_ LJ pouted.

' _That he is,_ ' he agreed silently.

"Their ship crossed my path," Solomon continued, "I sent out a distress signal. They let me board. But when I saw the cargo, things became more complex."

"Piracy and then genocide."

"Very emotive words, Doctor."

"Oh, I'm a very emotive man. My Link even more so, you _really_ shouldn't anger her…"

It was too late though, the man already had. Evy had been keeping tabs on him, they'd worked out exactly what Solomon had done and why and she was _not_ happy in the slightest. She was livid that the man had done such a thing and was very determined to get her Link and son away from him.

"The lizards wouldn't negotiate," Solomon shrugged, as though that explained his actions, "I made them a generous offer."

"The creatures onboard this ship are not objects to be sold or traded."

"I feel like you're judging me."

"You said Roxborne Peninsula, so why are you heading to Earth?" Evy had told him about the flight patterns not being changed, "You're on the wrong course. Oh…" he nodded, "You don't know how. Ha! Brilliant. You couldn't change the pre-programmed course. Without instructions, the ship defaulted, returned home. Oh, dear. The Silurians outwitted you, even after you'd massacred them. So now you're a prisoner on the ship that you hijacked."

"Not now you're here. You're going to help me to where I want to go, Doctor."

"Little bit of news, Solomon. You're being targeted by missiles. Get off this ship..." he got up, "While you still can," and turned to walk away.

_Epic speech!_ LJ started to shake his rattle, excited, he _loved_ it when his daddy made speeches like that. He was just awesome. Yes, those were his parents, Badass and Awesome.

' _LANGUAGE!_ ' Evy scolded in his mind.

_Sorry mummy…_

"You think I believe that?" Solomon called, glaring at them, "You just want them for yourself. You won't profit from me, Doctor."

The Doctor paused at the gate and turned to face the man, "Don't _ever_ judge me by your standards," he flashed the gate with his sonic, "Well, don't just stand there, Rory!" he called as he stepped through, glancing at the robots, "Hey, he wants to see you," before dashing off.

"Dad, up!" Rory shouted, helping his father up as they ran off after the Doctor, catching up to him as they rounded a corner, stumbling to a stop when they saw the Triceratops standing there.

_Tricey!_ LJ squealed.

The Doctor laughed and nodded, running for it.

"What're we doing?!" Brian called, confused.

"Just do exactly as I do!" the Doctor told them.

"Doctor, no!" Rory tried to stop him, but it was too late.

"Geronimo!" he called, jumping onto some crates and then onto the back of the Triceratops. He turned, waving the others on.

Brian and Rory glanced at each other a moment before following the Doctor, clambering onto the back of the dinosaur.

"Go, Tricey!" the Doctor urged, "Run like the wind!"

But the Triceratops just bellowed and remained still.

He sighed when, moments later, laser bolts were fired at them, making him hunch over just a bit, protecting LJ who was clapping at the excitement of it all, "How do you start a Triceratops?!" he called back to Rory and Brian, frustrated, wanting desperately to get his son away from the danger at hand.

"There they are!" one of the robots shouted.

"I know!" the other said, "I saw them before you."

The Doctor tried kicking the dinosaur in the sides to get it to move, when Brian pulled out his second golf ball, "Tricey," Brian called, "Fetch!" he tossed the ball down the hall and the dinosaur ran after it.

"Ha ha!" the Doctor cheered as LJ shook his rattle, "Thatta boy! Yee hah! Come on, Tricey! Woo hoo! Come on, Tricey! Faster, baby!" the ball bounced off a wall and the dinosaur scrambled after it, around a corner, "Whoa!"

"I'm riding a dinosaur!" Brian shouted over the noise, "On a spaceship!"

"I know!" Rory laughed.

"I only came round to fix your light!"

"Come on, Tricey!" the Doctor ushered, only to see that the hall ahead of them had a dead end and the dinosaur didn't seem to be stopping any time soon, "Where are the brakes?!"

They all gave a cry as they went flying off the dinosaur when it stopped suddenly, the Doctor twisting so he landed on his back, LJ safe on his chest, laughing and squealing and clapping. The Triceratops just trotted up to them and dropped the ball before Rory, before moving to sit.

"Good, that worked!" the Doctor smiled as he stood, "Ok..." he turned around, "Where are we now? Ooh…" he spotted a screen, all of them seeming to be working as Evy made her way through them from where she was, trying to find them on the security footage, "Incoming message from Earth," he hit a button and Indira and her crew popped up, "Hello, Earth! How are things?"

"Doctor, the ship's coming through the atmosphere," Indira informed him, "I have to start the missile program."

"No. No, no, no, don't do that, everything's under control here, turning round any moment. Need a bit of wriggle room on the timings..."

"I can't do that."

"You can, of course you can. Tiny bit more time, Indira, please. This ship contains the most precious cargo..."

And he wasn't just talking about the dinosaurs. His Link and son were on that ship, they were more precious to him than anything in the Universe.

"My only responsibility is the Earth's safety. I'm launching the missiles. Goodbye, Doctor," and with that, she disconnected the feed.

"No Indira! Hey, come back! Please!"

_Party pooper_ , LJ frowned.

~8~

"Wonderful," Evy muttered, hearing the report from the Doctor about their new time restraints.

"Now these," Riddell said from behind her and she looked over to see him pulling out some rather advanced rifles, "Are what we need, dinosaur protection."

"No weapons," Evy shook her head. She and the Doctor had _always_ been against weapons, but, now being parents, they were even more so. They did _not_ want to expose LJ to the sort of violence they'd had to live through. It was why they made Jack promise to never, EVER pull his revolver around LJ when he watched the boy or they visited.

Amy frowned, picking up a rifle and looking at the magazine that went with it, "It's ok," she told Evy, "Anesthetic. These are stun guns," she smirked at Riddell, "You're almost clever."

"Enough to make a dinosaur take a nap," Riddell agreed, "Even you two," he shot Evy a look, the girl knowing he meant her and the Doctor, "Couldn't object to that."

Nefertiti eyed Evy, thinking back to the way the woman had reacted to her advances on the Doctor, "You and the Doctor...are you his only queen?"

"Yes I am," she nodded.

She nodded, glancing at Amy, "She is not his queen too then?"

Amy's eyes widened as she shook her head fiercely, "No! No, I'm Rory's queen. Wife! I'm his _wife_. Please don't tell him I said I was his queen," she looked at Evy, "I'll never hear the end of it," but she paused when she saw Nefertiti look disappointed, clearly the woman had been hoping, if the two women were both the Doctor's, that she could be too, "Hold on, I thought you had a husband."

"A male equivalent of a sleeping potion."

"You clearly need a man of action and excitement," Riddell cut in, "One with a very large weapon," he cocked his rifle and headed for the door.

"So, human sleeping potion or walking innuendo," Amy muttered, "Take your pick."

The three women shared a smile...when Evy noticed something to the side, "Oh!" she called, rushing over to the nearby monitor, "Finally!"

There, on the screen, were the Doctor and LJ, Rory and Brian standing in a corridor.

"That's very bad indeed," the Doctor was saying, pacing behind Rory, "Completely unhelpful."

Rory peered at the computer, not seeming to be able to see them, so the feed must have only gone one way.

~8~

"Doesn't this ship have any defense systems installed?" Rory wondered.

The Doctor strode back over to him, "Good thinking, Rory!" and kissed him on the mouth, "Computer, show us weapons and defense systems," the computer only came up with 'No Systems Available,' making him sigh, "Well, that was a waste of time, wasn't it?" he slapped Rory lightly, repeatedly, on the face, till LJ hit him with the rattle, "Getting my hopes up like that."

"What ship doesn't have weapons?"

"The ancient species, Rory, still full of hope."

"What about the control deck? You said we should go to the control deck next."

"It's too late," the Doctor sighed as he turned away from the computer, "It won't make any difference."

"We could at least try," Rory argued.

"It won't work, Rory. The missiles are locked on."

"So, what? We're just giving up?"

_Never!_ LJ shook his rattle, as determined as a baby could be.

"I don't know," the Doctor had to sigh, patting LJ's stomach for the encouragement, "I don't know."

Suddenly there was a flash of light and Solomon and the robots appeared before them, "You were telling the truth, Doctor. Earth _has_ launched missiles. This vessel is too clumsy to outrun them, but I have my own ship."

"You won't get your precious cargo onboard, though. It'll just be you and your metal tantrum machines."

"We do not have tantrums!" one of the robots huffed.

"Shut up!" Solomon snapped, before walking up to the Doctor by means of his canes, "You're right, Doctor. I can't keep the dinosaurs and live myself. But I had the IV system scan the entire ship and it found something even more valuable. Utterly unique. I don't know where you found it or how you got it here, but I want it."

"I don't know what you're talking about," the Doctor stiffened, his mind immediately going to Evy.

"Earth Queen Nefertiti of Egypt."

Ah, right... _not_ Evy then, which was good...but still, pretty bad...

~8~

Amy, Nefertiti, Riddell, and Evy were watching the entire thing play out on the computer, "He won't get you Neffy," Evy assured her. No matter what her feelings on the woman might be for how she tried to seduce the Doctor, she would _never_ sell another person to someone like Solomon.

"A face stamped across history," the man continued, "Give her to me and I'll let the rest of you live."

They watched the Doctor lean in and whisper, "No."

"You think I won't punish those who get in my way? Whatever their worth?" he turned and jerked his head to the side.

One of the robots stepped forward and fired rounds of lasers...at Tricey.

The Doctor stepped back, his arms around LJ as the boy cried, not able to see it happen as the Doctor had turned him away, but able to _hear_ its pained cries and the sounds of the shots.

"That's it," Evy muttered as Riddell removed his hat in honor of the fallen beast, "I'm hacking into the teleport if it's the last thing I do," she grumbled, getting to work, even more driven by the cries of her son.

He wanted his mummy.

And mummy _always_ came.

~8~

The Doctor slowly walked over to the Triceratops, kneeling down beside it, stroking its snout as it died.

_Bye bye Tricey,_ LJ said softly.

The Doctor closed his eyes a moment, angry that the man had exposed his son to such cruelty, and stood, walking back to Rory and Brian, clapping mockingly, "You must be very proud."

"Bring her to me," Solomon said, "Or the robots will make their way through your corpses," he smirked as the Doctor took a step back, his hand protectively on LJ, "Bring her _now_."

"No."

Before another threat could be made, a flash of light appeared behind the Doctor. He turned to see Amy, Nefertiti, and Riddell standing there, Evy walking straight over to him and taking LJ out of his papoose, the boy still crying and reaching for his mummy.

"What are you doing?" he whispered to Evy as she bobbed the baby, soothing him.

Before she could say, Nefertiti stepped forward, "I demanded to be brought here."

The Doctor grabbed Nefertiti's arm, seeing Evy wasn't pleased with having been ordered to get them there, not that she wasn't going to before, but not for the reason Nefertiti had in mind, "No, no, no, no, no way."

"It isn't your choice, Doctor. It's mine," she pulled her arm away from him.

"Listen to me, if you go with him, we can't guarantee your safety."

"You saved my people. I am in your debt."

"We don't do debts," Evy cut in, still bobbing a little to calm LJ completely, "You don't owe us anything."

"Then I do it of my own will."

"Neffy, Neffy, Neffy..." the Doctor shook his head.

Nefertiti just walked towards Solomon, when Riddell cocked his rifle, "No!" and turned it on Solomon, "Take her, I shoot you."

Nefertiti held out an arm, signaling for him to stop, "Put your weapon down. Let me make my choice."

"Do it, boy," Solomon glared, one of the robots stepping forward till Riddell lowered his gun, "My bounty increases," he eyed Nefertiti, "And what an extraordinary bounty you are," he moved to touch her face.

But she shoved his arm away, "Never touch me."

Solomon grabbed her arm and pushed her against the wall, pressing the sharp edge of his cane against her throat, "I like my possessions to have spirit. It means I can have fun breaking them," Nefertiti pushed the cane away, "And I _will_ break you in, with immense pleasure. Thank you, Doctor. Computer? Take us back to my ship."

There was one more flash of light as Solomon, Nefertiti, and the robots were teleported away, just as the alarms started to sound.

"Hostile targeting in progress," the computer system began to repeat, "Hostile targeting in progress. Hostile targeting in progress. Hostile targeting in progress. Hostile targeting in progress."

"Wonderful," Evy shook her head, _just_ what they needed.

The Doctor could only smile as a plan formed in his mind, "Bingo."

"What is it?" Rory frowned as the Doctor took Evy's hand and led her off, "Doctor?"

~8~

The small group entered the teleport control deck, two chairs with some technology attached to it sat across from each other, cobwebs on them, with a small post between them.

"Ok," the Doctor nodded, "Control deck," he walked over to the post and took the cap off, looking inside with Evy and LJ as Riddell kept guard by the door.

"So, what's the plan?" Amy joined them.

"Come on," he glanced at them, "The missiles are locked on to us, we can't outrun them, we have to save the dinosaurs, and get Nefertiti back from Solomon...isn't it obvious?!"

"It's sort of the opposite of obvious," Rory remarked.

"Evy, would you like to take that one dear?" the Doctor turned back to the post, "I'm a bit busy."

She rolled her eyes but nodded, turning to the humans, struggling to hold LJ as he tried to peer over her arms and into the post like his father was, "In 17 minutes the missiles hit, so we have to turn the ship around."

"Exactly!" the Doctor called, sonicing the inside of the post.

"You said it was too late," Rory frowned, "There wasn't any time."

"Ah, yes, but I didn't have this plan then, did I?" the Doctor countered.

"Riddell," Evy called, "Can you keep a lookout for any dinosaurs."

He smirked, "I was rather hoping you'd say that," he cocked his gun and headed out into the hall.

"Don't you dare kill any!" she shouted after him.

"Rory, Brian, get rid of the cobwebs," the Doctor called, gesturing to the chairs.

Evy walked over to a computer, nodding Amy over, handing her LJ while she worked on hacking into the systems, she smirked, magnetizing Solomon's ship so he wouldn't be able to leave just yet.

The Doctor frowned and slammed his hand down on the post, looking at the readings on the sonic, "No, don't be like that! Really unhelpful."

"What's the matter?" Amy called as Evy walked back over to look at the readings.

"The ship is run on a parallel pilot program," Evy explained, "It's bio-configured which means it needs two operators who are from the same gene-chain."

" _That's_ why Solomon couldn't change the ship's course and neither can we," the Doctor sighed, before his eyes widened, "OH!" he shouted, making them jump, "We can!"

"And how are we going to do that?" Evy asked, raising an eyebrow, a curious one, not her 'dooming' one.

"Me and LJ!" he grinned, "We can fly this ship out!"

"No, you can't."

"Why not?" he pouted, how great would it be to pilot a Silurian ship away from danger with his son!

She just sighed and turned, taking the baby from Amy and holding him out to the Doctor so he could look at his son. The little baby, shaking his rattle as he gummed the handle, drooling everywhere, "He's _just_ learned to sit himself up and you want him to _pilot_ a _Silurian ship_?"

"Ah…" he nodded, seeing the problem there, "Yes…"

"We're not even to learn about TARDIS's for decades!" she added.

"Right…can't pilot the ship then," and then he noticed Brian holding his hand up, waiting to be called on, "What?"

"We still can," Brian said, working out what the gene-thing must be from what the man had said about him and the baby, his son, and Rory was HIS son, "Me and Rory. We must be the same gene thingy you just said."

The Doctor grinned and walked over to Brian, "Brian Pond, you are delicious."

"I'm not a Pond."

Evy smirked, "Yeah you are."

"Sit down, both of you," the Doctor called, Rory and Brian making their ways to the chairs and sitting as he explained, "Ship does all the engineering, the controls are straightforward, even a monkey could use them," he gestured at Rory and Brian, "Oh, look, they're going to," Amy and Evy just looked unimpressed, "Guys, come on, comedy gold. Where's a Silurian audience when you need one?"

"LJ?" Evy looked down at the baby in her arms.

LJ whacked the Doctor on the shoulder with his rattle.

"Good boy," she tickled his stomach.

The Doctor rolled his eyes but smiled, "Anyway, two eye-line screens, velocity and trajectory. Steer away from Earth, try not to bump into the moon otherwise the races who live there will be _livid_."

"What?" Brian gaped, surprised that there were people living on the moon.

"The primary controls are in the arms of the chairs," Evy explained, _much_ slower than the Doctor, making sure they understood, "It's like controlling any vehicle. You've got 8 minutes and 45 seconds to get us as far from here as possible."

The Doctor soniced the chairs, activating them, "Right, phase two sorted. Now for phase one."

Amy walked over as the Time Lords gathered around the post again, "Phase two comes _after_ phase one."

"Humans, you're so linear," he glanced at Evy, "Shine a torch dear."

She pulled out her sonic and used it as a torch for him to see into the post.

"What're you doing?" Amy asked, watching them.

"Mixing my messages," he pulled out some wires, "How's the job?"

"We're about to be hit by missiles and you're asking me that?"

"He works best when multi-tasking," Evy remarked as he pulled even more wires out.

"Keep talking," the Doctor nodded, "How's the job?"

"I gave it up," Amy sighed.

"You gave the last one up too," Evy remarked, tugging her head to the side, trying to get LJ to let go of her hair while still holding him in one hand and the sonic in the other.

"Yeah, well I can't settle," Amy shrugged, "Every minute, I'm listening out for that stupid TARDIS sound..."

"Right, so it's _our_ fault now, is it?" the Doctor grumbled.

"I can't not wait for you. Even now. And they're getting longer, the gaps between your visits."

"Are they?" the Doctor reached his arm inside the post again.

"I think you're weaning us off you."

"We're not," Evy told her, smiling as Amy took LJ from her so she could use both hands to help the Doctor, "We promise," she crossed her hearts.

The Doctor nodded, looking over, "Really promise. The others, they're not you. But you and Rory, you have lives. Each other. I thought that's what we agreed."

"I know," Amy nodded, her hand around LJ's, shaking his rattle with him to entertain him, "I just worry there'll come a time when you never turn up, that something will have happened to you and I'll still be waiting, never knowing."

"No! Come on, Pond," he kissed her hair, "You'll be there till the end of us."

"Or vice versa."

The Doctor looked back at the post, quiet, because, with them, that was a _very_ real possibility, it _had_ happened before.

"Don't worry Amy," Evy reassured her, "I've got a backup in the TARDIS. If anything happens to us she's to teleport LJ to Jack and send a message out to the companions."

Amy frowned, "But…won't the TARDIS die though?" she asked, recalling something that Donna woman had said about the parallel world that had been created where the Doctor had died but Evy had lived.

"No," Evy smiled, knowing she was thinking of that, "In that world the TARDIS was only psychically linked to the Doctor. After I revealed myself as a Time Lady, it linked to me as well. If the Doctor ever died, which," she turned and pointed a warning finger at him, "You'd better _not_ ," he smiled and leaned forward, giving her a peck of reassurance before she turned back to Amy, "As long as I was alive it would be strong enough to live on. Now that we've got LJ," she tickled her son's chin till he tried to hit _her_ hand with the rattle to stop her, "She's linked to him as well. So long as he lives on after us," she gave Amy a look, "Which I'm trusting you all with," Amy nodded quickly, of course they would all take care of the boy, he was practically family, he was like a nephew to her! "The TARDIS won't die."

Amy nodded, hugging the little boy, she didn't like the thought of anything happening to LJ or his parents at all.

Evy looked over as the two sonics beeped, "Are we done?" she asked him.

He nodded and stepped back, pulling the wires from the post and resting it on the rim of it.

"Doctor?" Riddell peeked into the room, "This is a two-man job," Amy nodded and handed LJ back to Evy, picking up a rifle, "What're you doing?"

"I'm easily worth two men," Amy remarked.

"Oh at least three," Evy countered, making Amy smile.

"You can help too, if you like," Amy added to Riddell as she moved out of the room, Riddell following, impressed, behind her.

The Doctor tossed a small crystal-like object in his hand before grinning at Evy, "Ready dear?"

Amy, who had just stepped out of the door, turned back, hearing them talking, "Doctor, what're you going to..." but suddenly the Doctor, Evy, and LJ were teleported out, leaving Amy to help Riddell stop the dinosaurs and Brian and Rory to pilot the ship.

~8~

The trio of Time Lords appeared on Solomon's ship, still magnetized to the Silurian ark, "Hello!" the Doctor called as they stepped into the control room, seeing Solomon rushing about the controls, trying to find a way to leave, Nefertiti nearby, "Having trouble leaving?" he turned and pressed two live wires to the robots, short circuiting them.

Evy laughed as LJ applauded his father, before glancing at Solomon, glaring at them, "If you haven't worked it out by now, we've magnetized the ship."

"We just couldn't bear to lose you," the Doctor smirked.

"Release my ship, Doctor," Solomon turned and held one of his canes to Nefertiti's neck, "Or I kill this precious little object."

"Oh will you?" Evy raised an eyebrow before glancing at Nefertiti, "Neffy…show him who's boss."

Nefertiti quickly kicked Solomon's other cane out from under him, making him fall back to the floor. She grabbed the one that had been aimed at her throat and pointed it at his neck, "I am _not_ your possession now, nor will I ever be. Now stay there."

The Doctor sauntered over and bent down, "Don't mess with Egyptian queens, Solomon. I hope you've learnt that now," before glancing back to where Evy was quietly explaining the controls to LJ, fiddling with them in the process.

"What're you doing?!" Solomon cried, spotting that.

"The tried and true switch-a-roo," she shrugged, glancing back at him, "I'm just disabling your ship's signal so I can replace it with the one from the Silurian ark," she turned back to the computers, "If we send this craft off with it emitting that signal, the missiles will follow _it_ instead of the ark," she turned, smirking.

"Hopefully Silurian ship safe, dinosaurs safe, everybody safe," the Doctor checked his watch as he made his way over to Evy's side, draping an arm around her shoulders, "Bit tight for time though, shouldn't really be chatting. Neffy, let's go," he nodded to the side and they headed off.

"Oh, dear," Evy paused, looking at the Doctor, "I think you've forgotten something."

"Ah, right," he nodded, turning to Solomon, "The thing about missiles, very literal, this is what they latch on to," he pulled the crystal from his pocket and set it down as they both pulled out their sonics, "Now, one press on this and the ship's demagnetized."

"Doctor, whatever you want, I can get it for you, whatever object you desire," Solomon tried to persuade them.

"Did the Silurians beg you to stop?" he glanced at the screens, seeing the blinking dots of the missiles getting closer, "Look, Solomon. The missiles. See them shine. See how valuable they are. And they're all yours."

They turned and headed out of the ship, to the teleport, with Nefertiti.

"You wouldn't leave me, Doctor..." Solomon shook his head.

The Doctor closed the gate to the teleport as Evy glared at the man, "You put the life of our son in danger," she said, pressing her sonic.

The Doctor smirked as the teleport kicked on, "Enjoy your bounty," before they disappeared with LJ clapping.

"DOCTOR!" Solomon screeched as the missiles hit his ship.

~8~

The Doctor headed back to the TARDIS with everyone, the Silurian ship now safe from the missiles, LJ extolling his parents for their bravery and the way they had protected the dinosaurs, stopping Solomon at the same time.

"So, dinosaur drop-off time," the Doctor clapped, opening the TARDIS.

"Actually, we think home for us," Rory spoke.

The Doctor stopped and looked at Evy, sighing at Rory's words, "Oh. Fine. Of course."

"Not forever," Amy added as Nefertiti and Riddell joined them and Brian, "Just a couple of months."

"Right, yes, we're pretty busy anyway. I mean, we've got to drop everyone back…"

"Raise our son," Evy cut in, knowing it would make him smile.

"Yes," and indeed he did. He reached out and took LJ's hand as the boy squeezed his finger, shaking his hand excitedly as he continued to babble on about the dinosaurs, "Yes we do."

Amy smiled, seeing the Doctor not as sad about their decision anymore. She knew the little boy was a handful, she knew the Doctor would want to focus as much of his time as he could on the little boy and raising him, not wanting to miss _a moment_ of his most precious years, where he'd experience his firsts.

"About heading back," Brian spoke up, stepping past Amy and Rory, "Can I ask a favor? There's something I want to see."

"Of course," Evy smiled.

~8~

Brian sat with his legs dangling over the edge of the TARDIS doors, eating a sandwich and drinking tea as the box hovered above the Earth, quite a sight. Even Rory and Amy, who had seen it numerous times before, stepped up behind him to observe.

The Doctor and Evy stood by the console with LJ, just smiling, though both of them knowing that the time of the Ponds would soon be coming to a close. They'd want their normal Earth life soon. Spending so much time with them and LJ must make them want a family of their own, one they were certain the Ponds would get somehow.

And they couldn't fault them for it.

~8~

Amy entered her house with the mail to see Rory on the ladder, blowing on the light fixture before inserting the bulb.

"MORE postcards from your dad," she called.

"Do you know what?" he replied, "I think it _is_ the fitting," he headed down the ladder and over to her side as she stuck the latest postcard from Brian on the wall that was covered with ones of him in exotic areas, Pisa, Rio de Janeiro, Egypt, and more. But the latest one made them smile despite it not being from Brian.

The TARDIS, in the background of a prehistoric land, dinosaurs from the ark everywhere, a sign labeling it as 'Siluria,' with the Doctor, Evy, and LJ beside it, LJ with a small Triceratops action figure in his hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :) I seriously love LJ, but poor him in this episode, to lose Tricey :( Awww...but at least he got Tricey the action figure :)
> 
> Anywho, can you believe in 1(!) more chapter we'll be halfway through the Ponds?! That makes me sad :( But then we hit part 2 of the series :) I hope this story is living up to expectations so far! I am probably MORE nervous about this series than my other ones, I haven't written a baby before as a main character so I hope he's believable even though he's a clever little thing :)
> 
> I hope it was a believable explanation as to how the 97 years had passed in the show, yet LJ's still a baby. I REALLY wanted him to be a baby for this series and that was the only way I could think of getting that to happen without him being a baby for 100 years...which I think he'd turn into a literal Stormageddon for and try to enslave all lol :) 
> 
> I can say we WON'T be getting 'Melody Malone' in this story but something different ;)
> 
> Next chapter...LJ's potty mouth makes a return appearance, on top of the poor boy teething...wonder what he'll start chewing...hmm...


	6. A Town Called Mercy (Part 1)

The Doctor beamed as he stood in the dusty road of a desert town, in the American old West. The town itself seemed rather unwelcoming, with keep out signs, a border around it made of wood and stones, and a mess of other warnings. But that wasn't why he was smiling, or rather why he was trying hard not to laugh.

It was the fact that his son, LJ, was currently in Evy's arms…dressed like a cowboy. He had on little cowhide chaps, miniature cowboy boots, a blue button up shirt with a bolo tie and matching cowhide vest, and a little red Stetson on his head. He looked _very_ unamused with this means of punishment.

Apparently, the time he'd spent with his godfather, brief though it was, had worsened the little potty mouth he'd somehow developed. Evy had been at her wits end with trying to figure out a way to dampen that. Reminding him to watch his language only went so far and they weren't about to _ever_ hit their child or do as other human parents did, washing his mouth out with soap, they weren't _that_ cruel.

So Evy had come up with an alternative punishment. Every time LJ used his potty mouth, she would dress him up in a rather embarrassing costume of some kind, something that related to their adventures. The poor boy would grumble and fuss about it, how it was embarrassing, but his language _had_ improved.

He hadn't quite started to talk yet, not out loud, not in 'English,' but…he seemed near enough ready to try. Sometimes his babbling sounded more coherent than typical baby babble, but still not quite there yet...which always left him grumbling about how he could think in such an advanced way yet his tongue didn't seem to want to cooperate.

"'Mercy," he read off the signs, the name of the town, "81 residents.'"

Amy and Rory were standing behind the trio, looking at the border of the town, "Look at this. It's a load of stones and lumps of wood," she glanced at the Doctor as he took his sonic out and scanned the circle, "What is it?"

"A load of stones and lumps of wood?" Evy guessed, laughing when the Doctor pouted, he'd been hoping for something...more.

_Can we go in daddy?_ LJ looked up at his father, excited...especially because of the keep-out sign.

The Doctor winked at his son and took Evy's hand, stepping over the line with her, tugging her close to kiss her as LJ covered his eyes and complained about how they were SO embarrassing when they did that!

"Er, the sign _does_ say, 'Keep out,'" Rory reminded them as they slowly followed, stepping over the line.

"I see keep-out signs as suggestions more than actual orders," the Doctor waved him off, "Like dry clean only."

"Which is why we tend to end up running for our lives," Evy sighed, nudging the Doctor, "You know, you're not setting a very good example for our son, ignoring threats and the like…"

He just grinned, "He doesn't have to worry about that just yet though," he gave her a peck, "He's got us and we'll look out for him and worry about the warning signs for now. When he's older, we'll teach him about that sort of stuff."

She rolled her eyes but smiled, she did want LJ to be a child as long as he could be, not having to worry about his life being in danger. That was their job.

The Doctor absently started swinging her arm between them as they walked down the path, being stared at from all sides, by people behind windows, hiding in doorways…a woman even yanked her daughter into a house, keeping her back. They frowned at that, frowning even more when a street lamp a few feet away sparked as they neared it.

"That's not right," the Doctor scanned it with his sonic.

"It's a street lamp," Rory shrugged, not understanding what was wrong about that.

_It has a bulb on the top_ , LJ tried to tell the man, even HE, a baby, could tell that that was FAR too early to be there.

"It's an ELECTRIC street lamp Rory," Evy explained, "And given that this is…I'd say the early 1870s...that lamp is round about ten years too early."

"It's only a few years out."

"That's what you said when you left your phone recharger in Henry VIII's en-suite," the Doctor muttered, pouting as he recalled that trip as well.

Evy had, as a quickly thought up backup plan, used what Donna would call her 'womanly wiles' to distract the king when he'd caught them. Given the sort of man Henry VIII was known to be, it worked rather spectacularly, the man really was so easily distracted as he flirted with Evy...which had Rory trying to hold the Doctor back as LJ called out shouts of encouragement for his daddy to beat the bad man...that is, until Amy managed to sneak around the king and bash him in the back of the head with a vase, shattering it in the process and knocking him out, allowing them to escape.

"Doctor, um..." Amy started.

But the Doctor just smiled absently, glancing at Evy and tickling LJ's stomach, "Anachronistic electricity, keep-out signs, aggressive stares...has someone been peeking at my Christmas list?"

_No!_ LJ called, a bit _too_ quickly, which made his parents look down at him, suspicious, _What?_ he gave them his most innocent face.

The Doctor shook his head and patted LJ on the head before he pulled out a toothpick from his jacket pocket and stuck it in his mouth, trying to act the part of an old westerner.

"Doctor!" Amy called as he veered to the side, stepping into a saloon with Evy and LJ. She sighed, her and Rory heading after them again.

The Doctor paused in the doorway, holding a bat-wing door open for Evy to step through. The music and chatter that had just been flowing out of the room had suddenly stilled with their arrival. He didn't give it much though as he ambled over to the bar, slapping his hand on the counter as Evy moved to sit on a bar stool beside it, resting LJ on her lap.

"Tea," he said, trying his hand at a fake American accent, "But the strong stuff. Leave the bag in," he tried to flip the toothpick in his mouth but didn't quite manage it.

Evy rolled her eyes and reached out, snatching it from him before he could stab himself with it, "And a warm milk please," she added, hoping some warm milk would calm LJ who was excited to see some real cowboys. Oh her little boy, first wanting to see Daleks, then mummies, then getting dinosaurs, and now wanting cowboys...he was quite the littler adventurer wasn't he?

"What you doing here, son?" the woman behind the bar looked at the Doctor, eyeing him oddly.

"Son?" he laughed, glancing at LJ.

_She's silly,_ the boy remarked.

"You can stay," he nodded at the woman.

Behind them, a black man stood up, holding the lapels of his black suit, "Sir, might I enquire who you is?"

The Doctor turned, "Of course. I am the Doctor, this is..." before he could continue, all the men stood up, "No need to stand," he smiled at Amy and Rory, "You see that? Manners."

Evy just shook her head, "I don't think it's that dear."

As though to confirm her words, another man walked up behind the Doctor and measured him between his shoulders.

"Oh, thank you," the Doctor turned, stepping away, "But I don't need a new suit."

"I'm the undertaker, sir," the man replied.

A young man hesitated before taking a step towards them, "I got a question. Is you an alien?"

"Well, um..." he floundered a moment, thrown by a person of the time asking that, "Bit personal. It's all relative, isn't it? I mean, I think YOU'RE the aliens. But in this context, yes. Yes, I suppose I am."

Suddenly the men rushed at the Doctor, grabbing him and lifting him up, carrying him outside in an angry mob.

Evy just sighed as Amy and Rory stumbled away to avoid the mess of men. She looked down at LJ as he asked her a question, "No dear, I _don't_ know why this always happens to your father."

"Um," Rory began, pointing at the door, "Should we?"

Evy nodded, getting up to head off after the crowd, Amy and Rory rushing after her. They ran after the mob, carrying the Doctor all the way to the border of the town.

_Daddy!_ LJ cried, squirming in Evy's arms, wanting to go help his father somehow, despite being a baby.

"Don't worry!" the Doctor shouted back to them, "Everything is completely under control!"

He winced as Evy mentally smacked him for the blatant lie.

"Guys!" he tried to reason with the men, "Guys! Oh, dear…" only to be thrown over the line around the town, "Whoa!" he quickly stood and cracked his back, "Argh. Ow," he turned around to head back into the town, but the men just drew all their guns on him. The Doctor raised his hands in surrender…when Evy frowned.

Behind him a tall, broad, man dressed all in black, a large gun attached to his hand and metal over his one eye, was approaching them, teleporting every few feet, coming closer. She took a step towards the border when she heard the Doctor in her mind, ' _Don't._ '

' _But…_ ' she began.

He shook his head, eyeing her, he'd seen the man in her mind, he didn't want her coming anywhere near him with the man apparently after him. If it was just him, he could talk himself out of it, but if _she_ was beside him with LJ, in line of fire as well, he'd be too worried to think clearly.

' _Stay there with Sigma,_ ' he told her.

She took a breath but nodded, trusting him and starting to bob LJ, trying to calm him as he slowly got upset at the sight of the man with the big gun stalking towards his father.

"He's coming," the black man breathed, spotting the man approaching, "Oh, God. He's coming."

"Preacher..." the boy whispered, "Say something."

"Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done..."

As the preacher prayed, the Doctor slowly turned to see the man in black drawing nearer. He tried to get over the line but the men wouldn't lower their weapons. He could just about sense Evy readying to use her powers and rip the guns out of the men's hands and into the air when…

A gunshot went off.

Everyone in the crowd looked over to see a man with a mustache standing there, a vest with a silver star on his chest, "You. Bow-tie," he called as the Doctor pointed to himself, "Get back across that line," he tapped his badge, "Now."

The Doctor quickly stepped closer, over to LJ as he began to cry, scared for his daddy, trying to calm him. Evy watched as the man in black disappeared via a teleport.

_Are you ok daddy?_ LJ sniffled.

' _I'm just fine boyo,_ ' he promised, crossing his hearts as he took LJ's little hand and squeezed it to reassure him.

"Isaac," the boy turned to the man, the marshal, "He said he was a doctor...an _alien_ doctor."

"That a reason to hand him to his death?" Isaac spat.

"But, Isaac, it could be him!"

"You know it ain't," Isaac countered, making the Doctor frown, as he turned and made to leave, nodding at Amy, "Ma'am."

Evy reached out a gentle hand, brushing some dust off the back of the Doctor's jacket...smirking as she patted his bum too just for good measure, startling him out of his thoughts, making him blush a bit. She tugged on his bow-tie, straightening it. He gave her a soft smile, a gentle peck on the lips, making her smile as well, knowing she'd needed to touch him, needed the reassurance just as much as LJ had that he was ok. He put his arm around her waist and led her off after Isaac, Amy and Rory following him as the townsfolk grumbled behind them.

They walked into the marshal's office as Isaac walked over to his desk, "What was that outside?" the Doctor jerked a thumb back.

Isaac sighed and moved to sit on the corner of his desk, "The Gunslinger. Showed up three weeks back. We've been prisoners ever since. You see that borderline, stretching round the town? Woke up one morning, there it was. Nothing gets past it, in or out. No supply wagons, no reinforcements. Pretty soon, the whole town's going to starve to death."

"But...he let US in," Rory shook his head.

"You ain't carrying any food, just five more mouths to feed. We'll all die even sooner now."

"If he doesn't let anyone in…what happens when someone tries to get out?" Evy frowned, NOT liking this at all.

Isaac just tossed them a Stetson, the Doctor catching it, "Ah, well..." he put his finger through a bullet hole in it, "He wasn't a very good shot then."

"He was _aiming_ for the hat," Isaac muttered.

"He shoots people's hats?!"

_Awesome!_ LJ reached out for the hat, grabbing it by the bullet hole and waving it around.

Evy could only shut her eyes and shake her head, and there was the Doctor in her son shining through.

"I think it was a warning shot," Amy remarked.

The Doctor nodded, "Ah. No. Yes. I see. Hmm."

"What does he want?" Amy looked at Isaac, "Has he issued some kind of demand?"

"He says he wants us to give him 'the alien doctor,'" Isaac rolled his eyes.

"But that's you," Amy looked at the Doctor, "Why would he want to kill you?"

Evy scoffed, "Have you MET him?"

"Oi!" the Doctor pouted.

She just lifted her eyebrow at him, "Name me _one_ member of the royal family, besides Liz 10, who _doesn't_ want to kill you."

"Well...there's..." he floundered, "What about...or...and...shut up!"

"Excuse me?" and the eyebrow lifted higher, moving from the simple joking 'oh really' one to the 'eyebrow of doom!'

"I mean...I love you?" he supplied.

Evy rolled her eyes at that but couldn't really retort as LJ waved the hat up at her, nearly hitting her in the face, distracting her from scolding the Doctor...not seeing the Doctor wink at LJ for his move.

"How could he know we'd even be here?" Rory wondered before whispering, " _We_ didn't even know we'd be here."

"We would be in Mexico right now," Evy agreed, "Right in the middle of the Day of the Dead Festival if _someone_ had just held his son for two minutes and let ME pilot…" Evy shot the Doctor a look.

_I wanted to try a sugar skull!_ LJ huffed at his father, crossing his little arms, yet still NOT letting go of that hat. He hadn't had much sugar and he'd heard about candies and things, his daddy had been talking about something called Jelly Babies once and he really wanted to try some!

He'd driven his mother nearly mad by constantly going ' _please!_ ' knowing that she'd be more willing to give in to something small like a sweet than getting him a dinosaur. And she _finally_ gave in and agreed that they could give him his very first sweet! He was thrilled! His parents had gone to get Amy and Rory knowing that, while they were unable to have children of their own, that they _did_ love being a part of LJ's life and experiencing his firsts along with them. They'd gone on a debate about which sweet would be the best to start when Rory, of all people, had suggested the Day of the Dead festival...he hadn't even had to say sugar skulls before LJ was excitedly demanding that they go there.

Because it sounded cool.

Festivals were cool.

But now it didn't seem like he'd be getting the sweet, which made him pout and sulk.

"Mexico's 200 miles due south," Isaac offered.

The Doctor opened his mouth to retort, when he noticed the light above them flicker, "Well, that's what happens when people get toast crumbs on the console. Anyway," he put his arm around Evy, "I think it's about time we met him, don't you?" he asked her.

"Who?" Isaac stiffened.

"The chap outside said I _could_ be the alien doctor, but _you_ said I wasn't. So you already know who it is. Two alien doctors! We're like buses. Resident 81, I presume. So beloved by the townsfolk, he warranted an alteration to the sign. Probably because he rigged up these electrics. And I'm guessing he's in here because if half the town suddenly wanted to throw me to my death...this is the second place I'd want to be."

Rory blinked, "Where's the first place?"

"The TARDIS?" Amy guessed.

"Nope," the Doctor grinned and used his arm around Evy's shoulders to move her in front of him, hiding behind her, in jest of course. If half the town was really after him he would NEVER put Evy in the line of fire to save himself. But she was rather scary when she wanted to be, especially when he or LJ were in danger...she was really VERY scary when she wanted to be.

Evy just rolled her eyes and spun around, whacking him on the back fo the head before pulling out her sonic and scanning, smirking as it beeped at the jail cell behind them.

"I don't know what you..." Isaac began, seeing that the woman's metal wand thing had located something, knowing JUST what that something was...

"It's alright, Isaac," a voice called from in the cell, a man sat up on a cot, pulling a blanket off him, "I think the time for subterfuge has passed," he got up and faced them, letting them see his professional garb, a squiggled teal tattoo on the side of his face, "Good afternoon. My name is Kahler-Jex. I'm the doctor."

~8~

The Doctor was excitedly shaking Jex's hand, absolutely ecstatic to meet one of the Kahler, "The Kahler. I love the Kahler. One of the most ingenious races in the galaxy, seriously. They could build a spaceship out of Tupperware and moss…"

Evy laughed and shook her head, reaching out to gently push the Doctor back, onto a chair as he finally released Jex's hand…only for him to pull her down onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her. He smiled, he often did this when he sat, pulled her down into his lap, had right from the very beginning of this incarnation and it hadn't stopped even when she'd been pregnant. Oh, he loved when she'd been pregnant, he couldn't help himself to rest his hands on her stomach, feeling their baby, their son, his little boy, moving within her, kicking against his hand…but now, now doing this, holding her like that, while she held LJ to her, it let him hold the both of them. His whole world, in his arms.

"How did you end up here?" Evy looked up at Jex, curious.

Jex turned and sat behind Isaac's desk beside the man, "My craft crashed about a mile or so out of town. I would have died if Isaac and the others hadn't pulled me from the wreckage."

"And you stayed?" the Doctor nodded, "As their doctor?"

"On my world, I was a surgeon, so it seemed logical and it gave me an opportunity to repay my debt to them."

"Listen to him," Isaac chuckled, "Talking like it was nothing. Tell them about the cholera," he clapped Jex on the back hard enough to jolt the man though Jex seemed pleased.

"Now, Isaac, I'm sure our guests aren't..."

"Two years after he arrived, there was an outbreak of cholera. Thanks to the doc here not a single person died."

"A minor infection we'd found a treatment for centuries ago."

"No, no, no. What do you call them? The lectricks?"

"Using my ship as a generator, I was able to rig up some rudimentary heating and lighting for the town."

The Doctor leaned forward, resting his chin on Evy's shoulder to eye Jex as she tried desperately to tug the hat away from LJ, who had started gnawing on it, poor dear had started teething a few weeks ago. But that little boy had a death grip on the hat, wouldn't let it go for anything.

' _Well,_ ' she heard the Doctor remark in her mind, ' _He IS my son,_ ' he nuzzled his nose against her cheek a moment, pecking it for good measure as he squeezed her around the middle to prove his point. He was practically famous for hanging onto the things he loved.

"What I want to know is why the Gunslinger seems to want _you_?" Evy asked, wanting to know what Jex could have possibly done that would make someone want 'the alien doctor,' nearly getting her own Doctor killed. She placed her free arm on top of the Doctor's around her waist, squeezing him back, having given up on trying to pry the hat away from LJ as the boy just eyed the adults, paying close attention.

"It don't matter," he shrugged.

The Doctor frowned, "She's just saying, if we knew..."

"America's a land of second chances," Isaac cut in, "We called this town Mercy for a reason. Others...some round here don't feel that way."

"Now, Isaac, we've discussed this," Jex turned to him.

"People whose lives you saved are suddenly saying we should hand you over."

"They're _scared_ , that's all. You can hardly blame them."

"Them being scared, scares me. War only ended five years back. That old violence is still under the surface. We give up Doc Jex, then we're handing the keys of the town over to chaos."

"Did you try to repair your craft?" the Doctor cut in, eyeing Jex, "Surely someone with your skills..."

"It really was _very_ badly damaged," Jex sighed.

Evy shrugged, "Would you mind if I take a look? I've been told I'm very good at fixing things."

"In order to do that, I'm afraid you'd have to get past the Gunslinger first," Jex shook his head, "I wouldn't even think to try that."

Evy nodded slowly, a bit suspicious, before standing, moments before the Doctor leapt to his feet, "We evacuate the town. Our ship's just over the hills. Room for everyone," he moved to Evy's side, dropping a kiss to her temple, "I'll pop out, bring it back here, Robert's your uncle."

"Really?" Amy scoffed, "Simple as that? No crazy schemes? No negotiations?"

"I've matured," he remarked, "I'm 1200 years old now. Plus, I don't want to miss 'The Archers,'" he gently pried the Stetson from LJ, a nice wet spot where he'd been chewing on the rim, and headed for the door.

"Oh, so you're not even a _tiny_ bit curious?"

"Why would I be curious? It's a mysterious space-cowboy-assassin. Curious? Of course I'm not curious," he stepped outside.

"He is _so_ curious," Evy sighed, shaking her head.

"Son?" Isaac called, making the Doctor pause, "You've still got to get past the Gunslinger. How you going to do that?"

The Doctor grinned and tugged the Stetson on, looking very odd with the wet spot on it, "With a little sleight of hand," he pointed at Evy, "Fill them in dear?" she nodded and he winked at her before heading out to get a lay of the land.

~8~

The Doctor walked up to the preacher as he stood by a post, hitching his horse to it, "Can I borrow your horse, please?" he took the reins, "It's official marshal business," before mounting it.

"He's called Joshua," the preacher pet the horse, "It's from the Bible. It means 'The Deliverer.'"

"No, he isn't," the Doctor told the man when the horse neighed.

"What?"

"I speak Horse. He's called Susan. And he wants you to respect his life choices," and with that, he ushered Susan into a gallop out of town, tipping his hat at Amy and Evy as they stood in the doorway of the jail as he passed.

Amy and Evy shook their heads and headed back into the marshal's office, Evy smiling at LJ as he sat on a small chair, shaking a set of keys that Isaac had left on the desk, amused and entertained by the noises and how shiny the keys were. If he was _that_ amused by a set of keys, she could only imagine how the boy would be if he ever got his hands on a sonic screwdriver, shiny and noisy...which he'd better not any time soon or she'd kill the Doctor for it.

"When this is all done, do you want us to take you home?" Amy asked Jex as he stood by the window, watching the Doctor disappear into the distance.

"Thank you, but I have already given everything I have to the Kahler," Jex replied, "My skills, my energy...all that was good in me. But here...I could start afresh. I could remember myself and help people. That's all I ever wanted to do. End suffering."

Evy frowned as she watched him closely. Both she and the Doctor had sensed something...off...about the man since they'd learned he was the alien doctor the Gunslinger was after. Why anyone would be after a doctor of all things didn't make sense, unless he'd used his skills to harm instead of help, which put them on edge. Then there was his ship, expecting them to believe someone of his species _couldn't_ repair it? And now, to hear him speaking so, about losing the good in him, being _reminded_ to help people…it was not looking good for him.

Amy walked over to him, "Here," and put his jacket over his shoulders.

"You're a mother too, aren't you?" Jex eyed her.

Amy frowned, stiffening, "How did you know?"

"There's kindness in your eyes. And sadness. But a ferocity too."

"It wasn't exactly straightforward."

"Motherhood never is," Evy remarked, moving to pick LJ up, sitting down on the chair he'd been in with him on her lap.

Amy smiled softly at them before turning to Jex, "And what about you? Are you a father?"

"Yes," Jex answered after a moment of thought, "In a way, I suppose I am."

Evy tensed, hoping the Doctor got to Jex's ship like they'd silently planned soon. Rory and Isaac had gone out, Isaac dressed as Jex, to lure the Gunslinger away under the assumption the Doctor was going for the TARDIS. But Evy knew better, he'd gone to check out Jex's story, see what he could find on the Gunslinger, and asked her to stay there and keep an eye on Jex, not trusting him alone with Amy.

~8~

The Doctor galloped Susan along a dirt road, till he spotted something in the dust, slowing the horse to a halt, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa," Susan snorted, "Yeah, I know we're in a hurry. I just want to check something out," he quickly hopped off, "Two ticks. There's something niggling me," Susan neighed, "Yes," he crouched down, "Yes, it could be important," Susan huffed, "Oi, don't swear. You're worse than my son!" he chastised.

And then he found a hose running along the ground. He frowned, standing up and holding it, sniffing it before tugging on it.

~8~

Evy glanced at Jex as he looked up at the lights flickering.

~8~

' _It's the electrics' source,_ ' Evy called in his mind, confirming his theory.

He nodded, dropping the line and turning back to Susan. He hurriedly got back on and off they went, following the line till they came to a lump with a tarp over it in the middle of the area, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa," he stopped Susan, who snorted as he dismounted, "Yes, I wear a Stetson now," Susan whinnied again, "Yes…that IS drool on the rim. Sorry, my boy's teething. Bless."

He turned and moved over to the lump, pulling the tarp off to reveal an oval-like white structure.

' _Are you seeing this dear?_ ' he called to Evy, showing her the image.

' _Doesn't look damaged to me,_ ' she commented.

"No," he nodded to himself, "Good point," he stepped closer to examine it, "Where IS the damage?"

He moved on top of the capsule, knocking on it till he hit a hollow patch and flashed the sonic, unlocking the hatch. He smiled, opening it...

Only for a loud, piercing alarm to go off.

~8~

Evy got up as the alarm sounded, following Amy and Jex onto the porch of the office to look out at the desert.

' _We can hear it from here,_ ' she called to the Doctor, watching Jex carefully.

"That's the alarm on my ship!" Jex remarked, shocked.

"Maybe the Doctor wants to get it working again," Amy suggested, glancing at Evy who gave a noncommittal shrug.

_She's very slow,_ LJ remarked to his mother.

Evy shook her head, and there was his father's rudeness. If the ship _had_ been as badly damaged as Jex was claiming...it wouldn't be working at all except as a battery. The alarms _wouldn't_ have triggered.

"But that wasn't the plan," Jex began to fret, "He's not following the plan."

Evy just patted him on the shoulder, "He never does."

Jex headed back into the office, tense, nervous, Amy following. Evy frowned, watching him go, when LJ gurgled, "Yes," she said quietly, "That is odd isn't it."

' _Hurry,_ ' she added to the Doctor.

~8~

The Doctor nodded, hearing her, and dropped down into the pod, landing in a strategically placed seat set up before a monitor.

"Security breach," the monitor flashed on, "You have ten seconds to enter the pass-code or this vehicle will self-destruct…" he flashed the sonic on the control panel, "Thank you for choosing Abaraxas Security Software. Incinerating intruders for three centuries. Nine, eight, seven…" he sighed as the sonic _finally_ worked, "Self-destruct over-ridden."

"This is an awful lot of security for a titchy spacecraft..." he muttered, keeping his mind open to Evy so she'd see what he was doing.

"Awaiting command."

"Tell me everything you can about the Gunslinger."

"File not found," it replied, making him groan, "Please choose from…Technical Specifications, Flight Recorder, Personal Files, Maps and Charts."

"Personal files of Dr. Kahler-Jex."

Jex's face suddenly appeared on the monitor along with text rolling down the picture, "Names of deceased subjects can be found on the drop-down menu…"

He watched intently as the files flew past, suddenly cutting off his connection with Evy's mind when he realized exactly _what_ those files were about. She didn't need to see that, she didn't need to know what Jex was…the less she knew, the less Jex would be inclined to do something to keep her quiet.

~8~

Evy frowned as the Doctor suddenly hid his thoughts from her. She tried reaching out, but he'd blocked her entirely. And that worried her, the only time they did that was when there was something they REALLY didn't want the other to know or feel.

She shook her head and followed Amy back into the marshal's office...only for the two of them to come face-to-face with Jex, holding a gun at them.

"I'm sorry," he said, "He really should have followed the plan."

~8~

The Doctor scrambled out of the capsule's top, while his mind had been blocked to Evy, hers hadn't been to him. He'd seen her, LJ in her arms, being held at gunpoint with Amy, by Jex.

He had to get back to her!

Unfortunately, as he looked up, he saw the Gunslinger aiming his own rather large gun at his face. He quickly ducked down, "Don't shoot, don't shoot!" he cried, before slowly standing to face the Gunslinger once more, "I know who you are! And who Jex is too!" the man lowered the weapon, "Now what I don't understand is why you haven't just walked into the town and killed him?"

"People will get in the way," the Gunslinger stated.

"Look, you want justice, you deserve justice, but this isn't the way. We can put him on trial, we can..."

The man raised his weapon again, "When he starts killing YOUR people, you can use YOUR justice."

The Doctor could only eye the gun nervously.

~8~

"Idiot," Evy muttered under her breath, able to hear the Doctor again now that whatever he hadn't wanted her to see or know about had passed. At the moment, she wasn't exactly worried about Jex holding a gun at her and her son, she knew he wouldn't use it, but the Gunslinger was another story...

In fact, Jex had scrambled back to his cell, stuffing his pockets with his personal effects, though the gun was still on them, "Isaac says he doesn't care about my past. But things may have been uncovered that even _he_ might struggle to forgive," he moved to the door, stepping around them, "So it's best we beat a hasty retreat."

"We?" Amy frowned, "We're coming with you?"

"It's unlikely the Gunslinger will shoot if I'm with you, especially her," he nodded at Evy and LJ, "As far as I can tell, he's programmed to take innocent lives _only_ if absolutely necessary. And he would _never_ take that of a child."

"Well, color me reassured," Amy grumbled.

"I don't really care for people trying to use my son as leverage," Evy told him.

Jex just started to back out of the door, when Evy smirked, seeing Isaac enter, his own gun aimed at the back of Jex's head, clearly surprised the man was holding two women and a baby hostage.

"Doc, what are you doin'?" Isaac asked as he and Rory forced the man back inside.

LJ just jingling his keys, unperturbed. If his mummy wasn't worried, he wouldn't be either.

~8~

The Gunslinger lowered his weapon, "No more warning shots. I'll kill the next person to step over that line. Make sure it's Jex," and turned to walk away.

The Doctor waited only till he'd teleported out before scrambling out of the pod and rushing back to Susan, galloping back towards town.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you imagine how many outfits Evy could stick LJ into? :) Oh the costumes to come are going to be rather cute, I can't wait :) I can also say that LJ, despite not getting his sugar skull in this episode, will have QUITE the sweet tooth later with some rather funny consequences ;)
> 
> Next chapter...how will the Doctor react to Jex with his son there? Will Amy still stop the Doctor or will Evy have to smack some sense into him? Will there be a new deputy in town?


	7. A Town Called Mercy (Part 2)

Jex was standing in front of the desk, Isaac, Rory, and Amy before him, while Evy stood in the doorway to the office, watching for the Doctor.

"It was stupid of me," Jex sighed, "I realize that now. I just thought I'd put you all in enough danger, perhaps if I left..."

"Hello dear," Evy greeted as the Doctor walked up, dropping a kiss to LJ's had and giving Evy a peck, relieved to see they were alright given that they'd been left with _Jex_.

"He's lying," the Doctor told the humans, "Every word. Everything he says, it's...all...lies," he strode over to Jex, glaring at him, though more angry at himself for leaving his Link and child with such a man than anything, "This man is a murderer."

"I am a scientist!" Jex defended.

"Sit down," Evy ordered, moving in with the Doctor, but Jex remained standing. She glared, using her powers to shove him into the seat behind him.

"Tell them what you are," the Doctor told him.

Jex's eyes narrowed, "What am I? A war hero."

"Ok," Isaac shook his head, "Somebody want to tell me what's going on?"

"I'd like to know that too," Evy muttered, seeing the Doctor getting _very_ worked up over this, even LJ was silent, sensing his father's anger.

"The Gunslinger is a cyborg," the Doctor told them.

"A what?" Isaac frowned.

"Half man, half machine," Evy explained quickly, simply.

The Doctor nodded, "A weapon. Jex built it. He and his team took volunteers, told them they'd be selected for special training, then experimented on them, fused their bodies with weaponry, and programmed them to kill!"

Evy closed her eyes at that, clutching LJ closer. _Now_ she knew why the Doctor was so angry, not only was the process barbaric, completely beneath the Kahler, but…he was starting to think of the people he had adventures with, the people he saved, in terms of family. At first, they were humans who were in danger and needed protection, now though, now they were someone's child, someone's son or daughter, brother or sister, mother or father. Having a child had made him more parental in a universal sense. No longer were they simple, extraordinary, humans, but someone's baby that was in danger.

This man…this doctor…had taken someone's son and turned him into a less-than-human killing machine.

"Ok, why?" Isaac cut into her thoughts, "Why would you do that, doc?"

"We'd been at war for nine years," Jex began, "A war that had already decimated half of our planet. Our task was to bring peace, and we did. We built an army that routed the enemy and ended the war in less than a week. Do you want me to repent?" he turned his gaze back to the Doctor, "To beg forgiveness for saving millions of lives?!"

"And how many died screaming on the operating table before you had FOUND your advantage?!" the Doctor snapped.

Jex glared, "War is another world. You cannot apply the politics of peace to what I did, to what any of us did."

The Doctor shook his head, about to lunge for the man, when Evy pulled him back and over to her, depositing LJ in his arms, knowing his son, even after being born, had an uncanny ability to calm his father just by being in his arms. It was much like how he'd calmed instantly when she'd rest his hand against her stomach, letting him feel LJ kicking, before he'd even been born. He closed his eyes, resting his head to hers as he held LJ between them, breathing deep, hearing a faint clink of LJ's keys.

"But what happened then?" Rory shook his head at Jex, "How come you're here?"

"When the war ended, we had the cyborgs decommissioned. But one of them must have got its circuitry damaged in battle. It went offline and began hunting down the team that created it, until just two of us were left. We fled and our ships crashed here."

Rory glanced at the Doctor, seeing him with his little family, knowing that this whole situation must be hard for both him and Evy, he'd noticed both Time Lords were always more affected when the topic of war was brought up.

"So what do we do with Jex?" Rory asked, turning back to Amy and Isaac.

"What do we do with him?!" Isaac's eyes widened.

"Yeah, I mean he's a war criminal."

"No, he's the guy that saved the town from cholera, the guy that gave us heat and light..."

"Look," Amy cut in, "Jex may be a criminal and yeah, kinda creepy..."

"And still in the room!" Jex huffed.

"But I think we should put aside what he did and find another solution."

"Another solution?" Rory raised HIS eyebrow this time, "It's him or us!"

"When did we start letting people get executed? Did I miss a memo? Doctor," she turned to the trio, "Tell him."

The Doctor looked up as the humans turned to them, "Hmm? Yes. I don't know. Whatever Evy said."

Evy smiled softly, she loved how lost he could get when spending time with his son, "I didn't say anything dear."

"Ah well…" he nodded absently, running a hand through LJ's little bit of hair, "Whatever Amy said then."

LJ looked up at him, _Are you ok now daddy?_

He smiled, ' _Yes boyo,_ ' he told his son, ' _I think I'll be ok now._ '

Evy had to shake her head fondly at that, pleased that the Doctor had calmed down...

...and then Jex had to open his mouth.

"Looking at you, Doctor," Jex remarked, pulling the Time Lords' attention to him as he cleaned his monocle, "Is like looking into a mirror. Almost. There's rage there, like me. Guilt, like me. Solitude. Everything but the nerve to do what needs to be done. Thank the Gods my people weren't relying on _you_ to save them..."

Evy closed her eyes for only a moment, resisting the urge to face-palm, and quickly took LJ back before the Doctor leapt at Jex, honestly what was with that man not knowing when to stop talking? Was it just an alien doctor thing?

"No," the Doctor grabbed Jex by the front of his shirt, "NO!" he yanked him up, "But _these_ people are!" and shoved him towards the door, "OUT! OUT! OUT!"

"Doctor!" Evy shouted, rushing after him with Isaac, who stopped in the doorway, pointing at Amy and Rory warningly.

Rory put his hands up and Isaac left, Rory turning to stop Amy.

"Oh, you're really letting him do this?" Amy's eyes narrowed.

"Save us all?" Rory said, "Yeah, I really am."

Rory left and Amy rolled her eyes, following after him.

"Ow!" Rory shouted as Amy whacked him in the back of the head as she dashed past him.

~8~

The Doctor shoved Jex through the town, "MOVE!" he shouted as the townsfolk started to peek outside to see what was going on.

"No!" Jex protested.

But the Doctor shoved him on, "MOVE!" he gave the man a firm push, right over the line of the town, watching as the man fell into the dirt. He stormed back to the crowd, only to grab a gun out of a man's holster and aim it at Jex's head, keeping him from returning over the line in a scene far too similar to when _he'd_ been thrown over the line.

"Doctor!" Evy ran up with LJ.

Jex just raised his hands in surrender, "You wouldn't."

The Doctor could only cock the gun, "To keep my son safe," he shook his head, "I genuinely don't know what I would do..."

Jex tensed, he hadn't quite thought of _that_. By the Doctor and his friends, the woman with the child, being allowed into the town, the Gunslinger threatening to kill people, the man's son had also become a target. And he knew, parents would do _anything_ to keep their children safe.

"Doctor," Isaac rushed up, "Doctor…"

The Doctor turned on Isaac with his gun hand, but Evy rolled her eyes, grabbed a gun off a nearby person, and shot it in the air. The men turned to stare at her, "Are you quite done dear?" she asked the Doctor, unamused, "Or would you like to completely scar our son?"

The Doctor lowered his gun, staring at LJ, realizing what he had been about to do, what he had tried to do to Jex. This was _not_ a lesson he wanted his son to learn _ever_ , it was _never_ ok to sacrifice anyone.

"Good," Evy nodded, gesturing a 'come here' motion with the gun, "Now how about we let him back in?"

He hesitated, "But he…"

"Yes, I'm well aware of what he did," she cut in, handing the gun to Amy to hold, "He committed a crime yes, but you know as well as I that the Kahler prohibit executions of their 'species,'" she used a one-handed air quote, implying that the loophole was that the Kalher scientists clearly didn't see the cyborgs as being their people any longer, "This isn't like the Slitheen," she added, reminding him of a time where he'd agreed to take Margaret back to her planet for execution, "This isn't their law," he nodded, bowing his head, "We'll find another way for justice to be served."

_Mummy's very smart,_ LJ remarked, though he wasn't looking at anything except the keys, sorting through them to see how they were different.

The Doctor smiled at that, "Yes, mummy is very, _very_ smart."

Suddenly a shot went off beside Evy, making her jump, "Sorry!" Amy shouted, the gun Evy had given her pointed at the ground, having gone off, "I didn't mean to do that!" she shot the ground again, "I was trying to uncock the thingy!"

"Ok," Isaac turned to Amy, "Everyone who _isn't_ an American, drop your gun!"

The Doctor stepped closer to Evy, shaking his head, the gun still in his hand, "We could end this right now though," he said softly, so torn between her words and the evil he'd seen Jex do to his own people, "We could save everyone right now."

"Saving anyone through the murder of another is _never_ the way," she shook her head gently, reaching out to put a hand on his cheek.

"What's happened to you?" Amy asked him softly, having _never_ heard him so willing to hand someone over to their death before, "When did killing someone become an option?"

"Jex HAS to answer for his crimes," the Doctor looked over at her.

"And what then? You going to hunt down everyone who's made a gun, a bullet, or a bomb?"

"They keep coming back, Amy," he shook his head, speaking resignedly, "Don't you see? Every time I negotiate, I try to understand…and people get hurt. People die!" he shook his head more violently this time, "What would happen if I decided to honor _the victims_ first? His, the Master's, the Daleks', all the people who died because I showed them mercy?" he blinked, tears in his eyes, "Would that really be so bad? Amy…all those victims…they were someone's _child_. There are people out there mourning the loss of their daughters, of their _sons_ , because of men like Jex."

Amy nodded, seeing why this was getting to him so badly, "But isn't Jex someone's son too?" she countered, startling him, "And that's why we _can't_ be like him. We have to be _better_ than him."

Evy smiled, "Well said Amy."

"Amelia Pond..." the Doctor had to smile as well, before sighing, "Fine. Fine..." he nodded, "We think of something else," he handed the gun back to the man he'd taken it from before turning to Jex, waving him back, "Jex, move over the line. Now."

Jex however, tensed, feeling the Gunslinger teleport behind him. He turned to see the gun of the cybrog pointed at his head.

"Make peace with your gods," the Gunslinger grumbled.

"Kahler-Tek, isn't it?" Jex spoke softly, "I remember all your names, even now. Please. I'd _never_ hurt anyone again. I'm even helping people here."

"Last chance. Make peace with your gods," his gun whirred, powering up a blast…

When Isaac ran out and shoved Jex to the side with a cry of, "No!" getting hit instead, Evy quickly having turned and shielded LJ from the sight.

The Doctor rushed over and knelt beside Isaac, checking on him, while Evy tried to soothe the baby who had started crying again at the sound of the blast and the violent move, "Isaac! Isaac, Isaac, it's ok, it's ok. It's ok, we can get you to Jex's surgery, he can save you…"

"Listen to me," Isaac shook his head, gripping the Doctor's hand, "You've got to stay, you've got to look after everyone."

"It won't come to that, Isaac."

"Protect Jex. Protect my town," he winced, "You're both good men...you just forget it sometimes..." and with one final breath, he passed.

The Doctor pulled his hand away to see Isaac had given him his marshal's badge. He pinned it to his lapel and stood, glancing at the shocked townsfolk and then to Evy and LJ, the former of which had been able to distract LJ with the keys he'd been playing with before, calming him.

"Take Jex to his cell," the Doctor ordered the men, tapping his badge like Isaac had, "If anything happens to him, you'll have me to answer to," he watched as Jex was escorted away before facing the Gunslinger, "This has gone on long enough."

"You are right," the cyborg aimed his gun at the Doctor, making him and Evy tense, LJ just shaking his keys, distracted by the funny noise, "You've got until noon tomorrow. Give him to me, or I'll kill you all," and with that, he turned and teleported out.

The Doctor sighed before turning, Evy walking up to him as he hugged her and LJ close, checking to make sure the boy was truly alright and not scared or scarred for life. But he just gurgled happily and reached out trying to tug on the shiny star on his father's coat.

"Oh, my God," Amy breathed, "You're the marshal."

He smirked, "Yeah, well, meet my deputy," he tugged on LJ's hat, tipping it at Amy.

"Really?" Evy raised an eyebrow, "Are we going to have to do this _again_?"

He just looked at her, confused.

She stepped back and held up LJ for him to see, the boy grinning and laughing, shaking the keys excitedly.

_Jingle, jingle, jingle…_ he was repeating every time the keys tinkled.

"Right…" the Doctor nodded his head, the boy probably wasn't old enough to be the deputy just yet, "Sorry boyo, best give it another couple years," he snatched the boy's free hand in his, dropping a little kiss to it in apology, only for LJ to grab his nose.

_Nancy was right,_ LJ giggled, squeezing the Doctor's nose, thinking about that story his parents had told him, _Your nose is REALLY big!_

"Oi!" the Doctor tried to huff, but it came out nasally and high.

_Not as big as your chin though..._ LJ eyed his father's chin too, _Am I going to have a chin that big when I get older daddy?_

He recalled that he'd seen his older self one time, when they'd taken River Song to Calderon Beta, but he'd been only a few weeks old and he hadn't been very close to the man, he wasn't sure. It didn't LOOK big, but his mummy always said that he was just like his daddy...and then his eyes widened in horror...

_What about my ears!? I don't want Dumbo ears!_

The Doctor just laughed at that, well, tried to, he tended to laugh through his nose which was difficult with his son holding it.

"Amy," Evy smirked, looking at the ginger, gently reaching out to pry LJ's hand off his father's nose, the Doctor rubbing it and wiggling it, "Ever been a _deputy_ when you were a kiss-o-gram?"

Amy just smiled.

~8~

That night Jex was standing in his cell of the marshal's office, the Doctor sitting just outside it, leaning on a railing with his arm around Evy, LJ between them, squirming, complaining his costume was itching him, though both his parents knew it was a ploy to get him changed out of it. Rory and Amy were sitting at the desk when a knock sounded.

"Come in!" the Doctor glanced over.

The preacher stepped in, removing his hat, "Marshal..." he nodded in greeting at him, then Evy, "Ma'am," and LJ, "Son," and Amy, "Deputy," and finally hesitating on Rory, having run out of words, "Fella," before turning back to the Doctor, "You need to come outside."

"What happend now?" Evy rolled her eyes, humans, always getting into trouble, they were almost as bad as the Doctor...almost...

"Just…come outside. And you should put that on," he nodded the Doctor at a holster with a gun hanging on a hook.

The Doctor glanced at Evy who nodded, even if he wouldn't use it, he could make a show of wearing it. He moved over and put it on, before stepping out with the small group.

Outside there was a group of townsfolk seemingly divided in two sections, the men on the right, with the young man at the head of them, and some women with the bartender leading them.

The Doctor hooked his thumbs around his belt, "What's going on?"

The young man stepped forward, nervous, "He in there? Leave the keys and take a walk with your wife and kid. Time you get back, this'll all be done."

He shook his head, "I promised Isaac I'd protect him."

"Protecting him got Isaac dead. Tomorrow it's going to get us all dead."

"We thought Isaac was right to fight," a second man stepped up, "But it's different now. We've got to say, 'Alright, we lost,' and give that thing what it wants."

The Doctor neared the edge of the porch as the bartender spoke, "What it wants is to kill our friend."

"Look," the young man said to her, "We don't got ill feelin' toward the doc, we just thinkin' 'bout our families," he glanced at the Doctor, "You can understand that sir," he nodded at LJ, "Hand him over and we all safe again."

The Doctor tensed at the mention of the danger to his son, so Evy stepped beside him, "He won't do that," she told the crowd, "I won't let him."

He let out a little breath at that, smiling thankfully at Evy for saying it, for reminding him he wasn't the only one who thought Jex should live.

"Then we got us a problem," the young man pushed back his coat to show them his own holster.

' _Is he serious?_ ' Evy called in the Doctor's mind, though her tone clearly implied that she didn't believe the boy would _ever_ use the gun or ever had.

But still, to be safe, since the boy was threatening his Link and child, the Doctor lifted the corner of his jacket to show his holster, "Please don't do this."

"Why?" the boy swallowed hard, "Reckon you're quicker than me?"

"Almost certainly not. But this…lynch mobs, the town turning against itself…this is everything Isaac didn't want," the boy drew his gun, "How old are you?"

"Nearly 19."

"So 18?" Evy shook her head.

The Doctor stepped down the stairs slowly, not wanting to startle the boy, "Too young to have fought in the war, so I'm guessing you've never shot anyone before, have you?"

"First time for everything," the boy replied, cocking the gun.

"But that's how all this started. Jex turned someone into a weapon. Now that same story is going to make you a killer too. Don't you see? Violence doesn't end violence, it extends it. I don't think you want to do this. I don't think you want to become that man."

"There's kids here. Your own kid's here…"

"I know," he swallowed hard, "Believe me, _I know_. But they are children who we can save, if you'll let me and Evy help."

"He really worth the risk?"

"I don't know. But _you_ are."

The young man slowly lowered his gun and walked off, the men following as the rest of the groups drifted off, back to their homes.

The Doctor shuddered and looked at Evy, "Frightened people," he walked over to LJ who was shaking his keys in excitement, he loved his daddy's epic speeches, "Give me a Dalek any day eh?" he tickled LJ's chin, making him laugh, before entering the marhsal's office with Evy, the humans staying outside to make sure the last of the groups left.

The Doctor glanced at Jex, sitting in his cell, before moving to remove his holster when the undertaker stepped up with a steaming cup, "Fresh coffee, marshal. For what it's worth, I know you're going to save us. Isaac made you marshal for a reason, and if you're good enough for him, you're good enough for me. Reckon you should know that."

"Thank you," he toasted with the cup, taking a sip before leaning on the railing, resting his head against Evy's…till he felt the undertaker trying to measure his shoulders again, "Oi!" he waved the man away, "Get out of it!"

The undertaker shrugged and left, Evy pulling the Doctor's Stetson off to drop a kiss to his forehead, knowing this whole thing was giving him a headache.

"Let me guess," Jex remarked, "The good folk of Mercy wanted me to take a little stroll into the desert. You could turn a blind eye. No one would blame you. You'd be a hero."

"But I can't, can I?!" the Doctor turned and walked over to the cell, Evy stepping around the railing to lean against it, watching, "Because then Isaac's death would mean nothing! Just another casualty in your endless, bloody war! That is not something I will expose my child to!" he watched as Jex turned to lie down on his cot, "Do you _want_ me to hand you over?! Is _that_ what you want?! Do you even know?!" he turned away in frustration, moving over to Evy who silently handed him LJ.

"You think I'm unaffected by what I did? " Jex turned his head to glare at them, "That I don't hear them screaming every time I close my eyes?" before propping himself up, "It would be so much simpler if I was just one thing, wouldn't it? The mad scientist who made that killing machine, or the physician who has dedicated his life to serving this town. The fact that I'm both bewilders you."

"You are so full of yourself you know that?" Evy shook her head at him, this time being the one to move to the cell, "We know exactly who and what you are. And this," she gestured around, "What you're trying to do for this town, it's not you trying to get back to the goodness in you, helping people, no this is how you choose to serve out your punishment for what you did to your own people. That's _not_ the way justice works. It isn't up to YOU how your debt is paid. It's up to those you've harmed, and, unfortunately for you, he wants you dead and my Link is tasked with keeping you alive," she leaned forward, "The Doctor may not know what he'd do to protect our son, but I will do _anything_. Keep pushing me and I will let him hand you over to Tek."

The Doctor just stepped closer to her, reaching out to take her hand, tugging her back, knowing she was starting to get irritated again. Now that the Gunslinger had made such a threat to everyone in the town, and that included their son, and she was _not at all_ happy that Jex had brought it upon them.

"In my culture," Jex murmured after a moment, sitting up, "We believe that, when you die, your spirit has to climb a mountain, carrying the souls of everyone you wronged in your lifetime. Imagine the weight I will have to lift," the Time Lords looked at him, "The monsters I created, the people they killed. Isaac. He was my friend. Now his soul will be in my arms, too. Can you see now why I fear death? You want to hand me over. There's no shame in that. But you won't. We all carry our prisons with us. Mine is my past, yours is your morality," he laid back down.

"'We all carry our prisons with us,'" the Doctor scoffed silently, "Ha..."

"Dear, hush," Evy said quietly. He looked at her confused, only for her to nod at his arms where LJ had fallen asleep to the sound of his hearts beating, making him smile and drop a kiss to LJ's head.

~8~

The next day the Doctor was standing, alone, in the center of town, before the bank, having insisted Evy stay with Amy in dealing with Jex. Their plan, what they were going to do, what the man had tried last time he'd tried to escape, he needed someone there to deal with Jex should he try to attack Amy. He cracked his neck as the clock tower behind him tolled noon.

~8~

Evy stood before the window of the marshal's office with LJ in her arms, staring at the clock, Jex behind her, sitting on the cot of his cell. She took a breath, hearing a buzz, knowing the Gunslinger had teleported in. Jex stood and gripped the bars of his cell while Amy glanced at the keys in her hand.

_Is daddy going to be ok mummy?_ LJ asked her.

"He better be," she muttered, "Or I'll kill him."

~8~

The Doctor watched as the Gunslinger stepped closer to him, his hand resting by his gun, both of them ready for a 'showdown' as the bell finished tolling. The Gunslinger lifted his gun, the Doctor quickly pulling out his sonic and holding it high, switching it on. The high-pitched noise resonated everywhere, making the cyborg groan in pain as the windows around them shattered. The Doctor ducked to the side as the man began to fire everywhere and ran for cover.

~8~

"Now," Evy called to Amy who quickly made her way to the cell, sticking a key in and letting Jex out.

Evy watched from the window as men began to dash all over the place, each with a copy of Jex's tattoo painted on their faces, spotting Rory among them.

She held her breath as the Gunslinger hesitated, seeming, despite his threat, to not want to kill anyone who wasn't exactly Jex, who had run out the back door, on his way to make it to his ship and escape.

~8~

The Doctor looked out of the saloon, where he was getting his face painted by the bartender, at the sound of an explosion. He ran out, nearly running over Jex in the process, the man having stopped as well, "Go!" he shoved Jex on, "Just GO! I can't save them while you're here!" before running off to the church where the explosion had come from as Jex took off.

He dashed into the Gunslinger's line of fire as the man called, "Deactivate automatic targeting. Switch to manual."

He held up his hands, seeing the man ready to fire, spotting Evy and Amy step out of the marshal's office at his distress, Evy handing LJ to Amy so she could help if he needed it.

"Where is he?" the Gunslinger demanded.

"Gone," Evy called, wanting desperately to get the attention off the Doctor.

"WHERE?!" the Gunslinger turned on her, the Doctor rushing around to stand before the woman, shielding them, "ANSWER ME!"

"Away from here," he replied, "Look up. Any second now you'll see the vapor trail of his ship. This is their home, not the backdrop for your revenge! Look up. Go after him, take this battle away from..."

There was a sudden squeal of static over the speakers of the town as Jex's voice spoke, "Kahler-Tek. Kahler-Tek."

"Jex..." the Gunslinger spun around, "Coward! Where are you?!"

"I'm in my ship."

"Jex, what are you doing?" the Doctor shouted, "Just GO!"

"Where are you from?" Jex ignored him, "Where on Kahler?"

"Now? You're asking him this NOW?!"

"Gabrean," the cyborg answered.

"I know it," Jex said quietly, "It's beautiful there. When this is over, will you go back?"

"How can I? I am a monster now."

"So am I."

"Jex just go!" Evy called, moving down the steps of the marshal's office and to the Doctor's side, "Leave!"

"I will find you!" the Gunslinger warned him, "If I have to tear this Universe apart, I will find you."

"I don't doubt that," Jex sighed, "You'll chase me to another planet...and another race will be caught in the crossfire."

"THEN FACE ME!"

There was the sound of buttons being pushed before the computer of Jex's ship announced, "Countdown to self-destruct resumed."

"FACE ME!"

Jex took a breath, "No. You've killed enough. I'm ending the war for you, too."

"Countdown to self-destruct resumed," the computer repeated.

"What's going on?" the Doctor demanded, "That countdown! What's going ON!? JEX!"

"Thank you, Doctor," Jex said softly, "But I have to face the souls of those I wronged. Perhaps they will be kind."

"Three," the computer began to count down, "Two, one. Zero."

In the distance they could see smoke rising as an explosion sounded. Jex had blown up his ship. The Doctor shook his head and looked at Evy who could only frown, luckily LJ was with Amy, inside the marshal's office where she'd run with the boy when the Gunslinger had turned his weapon on Evy.

"He behaved with honor at the end," the Gunslinger bowed his head, "Maybe more than me."

Evy glanced at him, "If you'd like, we can take you home, back to Kahler. I imagine they'd need help building up after your war."

The Gunslinger shook his head, walking away, "I will walk into the desert and self-destruct. I am a creature of war. I have no role to play during peace."

"Except maybe to protect it?" the Doctor suggested as the townsfolk slowly started to move out of their homes, watching as the Gunslinger stopped, considering that.

~8~

Later that day the TARDIS had been moved to the middle of the street of Mercy, the Doctor stepping out of the saloon with Evy, LJ in her arms, Amy and Rory following after.

"Ok, so, our next trip," the Doctor began, "You know all the monkeys and dogs they sent into space in the '50s and '60s? You'll _never_ guess what really happened to them!"

_Can I have a space monkey?_ LJ asked, starting to squirm excitedly.

Evy rolled her eyes and smacked the Doctor on the back of the head for giving their son that idea, "No," she told the boy.

"Erm...could we leave it a while?" Amy asked hesitatntly, "Our friends will start noticing that we're ageing faster than them."

The Doctor nodded, smiling as he listened to LJ go on about how he wanted to meet the space monkeys, "Another time!" he agreed, clapping his hands, "No worries!"

_Do space monkeys eat bananas or space bananas?_ LJ wondered as Evy opened the door to the TARDIS and stepped in, Amy and Rory behind her. The Doctor paused in the doorway, glancing at the young man from earlier, both of them 'drawing' at each other, the Doctor getting the young man.

The boy laughed and tipped his hat at the Doctor, who gave him a small salute and followed the others into the TARDIS, the box disappearing moments later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jingle, jingle, jingle... lol :) I have fond memories of my sister as a baby being amused by jingling keys :)
> 
> Next chapter...LJ gets upset and UNIT is involved :( Evy seems to share similar opinions of Twitter as Clara. And what's this? The Doctor has a job?!


	8. The Power of Three (Part 1)

As Amy sat with Rory in the back garden of their home, she couldn't help but think on life with the Doctor, Evy, and LJ. It could be pretty crazy at times, all the running, and adventures, and danger…and then they'd come home, to their house, and things would be quiet for a time. Like just then.

"We have two lives," Rory said as he sipped his tea, "Real life and TARDIS life. Except real life doesn't get much of a look in."

Amy swallowed her mouthful and looked at him, "What do we do?"

"Choose?" he shrugged.

They both looked back when they heard the sound of the TARDIS materializing.

Amy smiled, "Not today, though."

"Nah," Rory agreed, "Not today."

And with that, they were up and running for the blue box.

~8~

_"Every time we flew away with the Doctor and Evy, we'd just become part of their lives. But, the Doctor at least, never stood still long enough to become part of ours. Except once. The year of the slow invasion. The time the Doctor came to stay with his family."_

~8~

Amy and Rory woke up to the sharp pinging of their doorbell, staggering over to their window where they opened it to see Brian standing below, at their door.

"Dad, it's half past six in the morning," Rory grumbled.

"What are you doing lying around?" he simply held up a small black cube, "Haven't you seen them?"

They looked out to see a massive amount of cubes lying everywhere and frowned, quickly making their way outside and over to Brian, "What are they?" Rory asked, taking the cube from his father as they stepped out.

"Nobody knows. They're everywhere."

"Well, where have they come from?" Amy asked, before something caught her eye, "Wait…" she took a few steps towards the park across the street from their house, seeing a man in a tweed jacket and bow-tie leaning next to a swing, a blonde woman in western garb, more like dark blue jeans tucked into brown boots, and a purple top with the same jean jacket over it, pushing a baby on the swing set as the man examined a cube, "Doctor! Evy!"

The Doctor looked up at them as they came closer, "Invasion of the very small cubes," he tickled LJ's head, "That's new."

~8~

The Doctor walked around the console, examining a cube with a magnifying glass, as LJ sat in his bouncy swing, gnawing on a rubber ring to help with his teething, while Evy ran some tests on the cube on the monitor of the console.

"All absolutely identical," the Doctor muttered, "Not a single _molecule's_ difference between them. No blemishes, imperfections, individualities..."

"What if they're bombs?" Brian cut in, making them all look at him, "Billions of tiny bombs? Or transport capsules maybe, with a mini robot inside? Or deadly hard drives? Or alien eggs? Or messages needing decoding? Or they're all parts of a bigger whole, jigsaw puzzles that need fitting together..."

_I like him,_ LJ gurgled, a strange sort of sound coming from his mouth as he called to his parents, sounding almost like ahwakim.

"Very thorough, Brian," the Doctor nodded, "Very, _very_ thorough. Well done. Stay here. Watch these," he handed Brian the cube in his hand, "Yell if anything happens."

Amy frowned and watched as the Doctor moved over to LJ, kneeling before his son as the boy yawned. He smiled, gently reaching out to place a binky in the boy's mouth, watching as he slowly fell asleep, rocked by the bouncy chair and lulled by the gentle hum of the TARDIS.

"Evy?" Amy turned to the girl who was standing beside them, watching the Doctor with a smile, not wanting to wake LJ by calling to the Doctor, "Is this an alien invasion? Because that's what it feels like."

"There couldn't be life-forms in _every_ cube, could there?" Rory looked at one.

"It IS possible," Evy sighed, before shrugging, "It's happened before," at least once, everything Brian had said, HAD probably happened, especially with the Doctor there, "Truth is, we really _don't_ know."

"And I really don't like not knowing," the Doctor added quietly, coming over to wind his arms around Evy's waist from behind, holding her back to his front as he rested his chin on her shoulder, pouting.

She smiled and turned her head to give him a peck on the cheek, only for him to quickly turn his head to get the peck on the lips instead, beaming widely in triumph at that, "Then let's find out," she smiled at him.

He grinned, taking her hand and pulling her out of the TARDIS, which was sitting in the sitting room of the Ponds' home, "Right," he clapped as Evy shut the door to the TARDIS a crack, leaving it slightly open so they'd be able to hear LJ, "We need to use your kitchen as a lab. Cook up some cubes. See what happens."

"Right," Rory glanced at his watch, "I'm due at work."

The Doctor frowned at him, "What? You've got a _job_?"

"Of course I've got a job. What do you think we do when we're not with you?"

Evy snorted, moving to gather supplies, "Knowing Amy? He thinks you do nothing but kiss."

Amy rolled her eyes, "I write travel articles for magazines and Rory heals the sick."

"My shift starts in an hour," Rory nodded, turning to Amy, "Do you know where my scrubs are?"

"In the lounge, where you left them," Amy called as Rory walked out.

The Doctor couldn't help but shake his head fondly at that, "All the Ponds, with their house and their jobs and their everyday lives. The journalist and the nurse. Long way from Leadworth," he moved to Evy's side where she was piecing together some sort of device with her sonic, just watching her work, he loved doing that, watching her work, always had, probably even before he'd found out she was a Time Lady.

"We think it's been ten years," Amy said softly, "Not for you or Earth, but for us. Ten years older. Ten years of you, on and off."

"And just look at you," Evy smiled, reaching out to squeeze the girl's hand, "The little girl from five minutes ago is all grown up now eh?"

Amy started to smile...when the front door suddenly slammed open and armed soldiers in black with red caps ran in, "Clear!" one shouted into a comm., "Trap One, kitchen secured."

"Trap Three, back garden secured," another voice came back.

They frowned at the soldiers as they surrounded the house, marching Rory in at gunpoint only half dressed…making Evy laugh, especially when the Doctor reached out a hand to try and cover her eyes like he would have LJ's if Rory had been a girl.

Evy reached up and pulled his hand down, ' _Don't worry Theta,_ ' she laughed in his mind as well, ' _The only man I ever want to see like that is you,_ ' she smirked at him, giving him a bit of a suggestive look, ' _Though without the shirt, and preferably in the bedroom._ '

He blushed at that but made no move to cover her eyes again, just winding his arm around her waist.

"There are soldiers all over my house, and I'm in my pants," Rory gestured to his missing bottom half of clothes.

"My whole life I've dreamed of saying that, and I miss it by being someone else," Amy deadpanned.

"All these muscles," a woman's gravelly voice called from the front of the house, "And they still don't know how to knock," and then an older blonde woman stepped through the doorway to the kitchen, short hair, in a tan outfit, seeming casual if a bit uncomfortable with the entrance that had just been made, "Sorry about the raucous entrance. Spike in Artron Energy reading at this address. In the light of the last 24 hours, we had to check it out," she glanced at a soldier near her, "And the dogs do love a run out. Hello," she put her hand to her chest to introduce herself, "Kate Stewart, head of scientific research at UNIT. And with dress sense like that," she eyed them, the man in the bow-tie, the woman from the 'old west,' and held out a scanner to their chests, seeing two hearts beating there, "You must be the Doctor and Evy. I hoped it would be you."

Evy laughed, working out exactly who this Kate Stewart was, "Since when did science run UNIT?"

Kate blinked, a bit surprised that the girl had been able to identify them, but if the stories were true, she was just as clever as the Doctor, "Since me. UNIT's been adapting. Well, I dragged them along, kicking and screaming, which…which made it sound like more fun than it actually was."

"Oh, kicking and screaming are always fun," Evy smiled.

"What do we know about these cubes?" the Doctor cut in, wanting to know exactly what sort of threat they might pose to his son.

"Far less than we need to," Kate sighed, "We've been freighting them in from around the world for testing. So far, we've subjected them to temperatures of plus and minus 200 Celsius, simulated a water depth of five miles, dropped one out of a helicopter at 10,000 feet and rolled our best tank over it. Always intact."

"Interesting," Evy nodded.

"Impressive," the Doctor countered with a pout.

Amy frowned, "What's with the pouty face?"

Evy gave him a peck, "He didn't want them to be impressive, he wants them to have a weakness he can exploit should they end up attacking the planet.

"Oh," Amy nodded, a little disturbed that they thought it was possible for the cubes to launch war on mankind. They didn't really do much of anything did they?

"We don't know how they got here," Kate continued, "What they're made of, or why they're here."

"And all around the world, people are picking them up and taking them home," the Doctor guessed.

"Like iPads have dropped out of the sky. Taking them to work, taking pictures, making films, posting them on Flickr and YouTube. Within three hours, the cubes had a thousand separate Twitter accounts."

Evy grimaced, looking as though she'd tasted something bitter, "Twitter! Urg!"

Which made Amy laugh.

For all Evy's love of staying connected with her friends, the Time Lady hated social media. According to her she wouldn't ever text or email or FaceBook or Twitter because it was cheap...Twitter especially, to her, was like a dark void that just sucked you in and never let you leave no matter how much you shouted for help. In general though, she just thought social media was a less personal means of staying connected to someone. She'd rather talk, hear their voices, see their faces, than leave a random message on some board. No, she wanted conversation, communication, connection. Not message boards.

It was one of the things she loved about Evy. The girl didn't just take the easy way out and drop off a note on your profile page every once in a while. She made the effort to pick up the phone, check in on them, TALK to them. It made all the companions, who had stayed in contact after LJ had been born, forming their own web of friends and connections, feel special. It made them feel like they were important enough to the Time Lords to be remembered when Evy called you up just to chat.

Amy had asked them once why it was always _Evy_ who made contact first...unless there was a life threatening situation on the horizon, then the Doctor would come to call. They hadn't really given it much thought to be honest. Evy had guessed that it was because the Doctor always felt more responsible for his companions' wellbeing, their lives on trips, he purposefully tried not to get too attached because he often, well, lost his companions. Evy though, didn't have the guilt of something happening to them being her responsibility, they weren't _her_ companions, but they _were_ her _friends_. The bonds she formed with them were different than the ones the Doctor did. He hated looking back to see his companions grow old and die. Evy loved to look back and see her friends grow old and LIVE, live their extraordinary lives.

Though…Amy had a sneaking suspicion that Evy was slowly changing the Doctor's mind about that, especially when he'd left them a few messages on the answer phone. According to a few of the older companions, this Doctor was _much_ closer to her and Rory than his previous selves had been to them. Not that they held it against her, they didn't, they were all thrilled to see him being more open to forming actual relationships with the people he travelled with. But they also knew, losing them, when they eventually stopped travelling with the Time Lords, would hurt _that much worse_ as a result. But, they believed in Evy, she'd help him through, and now he had LJ too, both of them reminding him that he wasn't alone.

Perhaps that was why he was more open? He'd finally accepted that, losing a companion, it would be hard, but he wouldn't be losing them alone. Evy would be losing a friend, LJ a pseudo-uncle or aunt. But as long as they had each other, the three of them together, they'd be fine.

"I've recommended we treat this as a hostile incursion," Kate spoke, pulling Amy from her thoughts, "Gather them all up and lock them in a secure facility. But that would take massive international agreement and cooperation."

"Then we just have to gather some evidence to convince them," Evy shrugged.

The Doctor nodded, resting his chin on her shoulder, "The cubes arrived in plain sight, in vast quantities, as the sun rose. So, what does that tell us?"

"Maybe they wanted to be seen?" Amy guessed, "Noticed."

"Or more than that, they want to be observed. So we observe them. Stay with them round the clock. Watch the cubes, day and night. Record absolutely everything about them. Team cube, in it together!" he grabbed a cube off the counter and was about to kiss it when Evy snatched it away.

A moment later a baby started to cry and the Time Lords rushed back into the TARDIS, Kate following, confused at the noise, to see them scooping up a baby into their arms. Her eyes widened and she quickly signaled to the soldiers to head out, not wanting to scare the baby…

Unfortunately, that _wasn't_ what LJ was crying about.

The Time Lords laughed as LJ cried that he wanted to meet UNIT, having heard so much of it from his father, having woken up to hear them talking and wanted to get out of the box to see them. They moved to the TARDIS doors, stepping out, only to see the men were gone.

_I missed them?!_ LJ started to cry again, much to the amusement of his parents.

"Who's this dear boy?" Kate asked, eyeing the baby.

The Doctor smiled, "Our son LJ."

"You've a son?!" her eyes widened, it seemed the files of UNIT would have to be updated.

"Would you like to hold him Kate?" she asked, the Brigadier was such a large part of the Doctor's past, the woman was basically family in her eyes.

"May I?" Kate asked, reaching out as Evy passed LJ to her.

LJ quieted, looking up at the strange lady now holding him, and started to giggle, reaching out to tug on her short blonde hair.

"Yeah, he does that," the Doctor laughed as Kate winced, but smiled nonetheless.

~8~

The Doctor was lying, upside down, in the center of the sofa, Amy and Rory on either side of him, all of them watching a handful of cubes on the coffee table. Evy was curled up on a smaller sofa chair at the end of the table, her head rested on her arm, absently watching the cubes, LJ curled up half on her lap, half on the couch, sleeping at the sheer boredom of what they were doing.

" _Four days_ ," the Doctor grumbled quietly, not wanting to wake LJ, "Nothing! Nothing! Not a single change in _any_ cube anywhere in the world. Four days, and we are _still_ in your lounge!"

" _You_ were the one who wanted to observe them," Amy pointed out.

"Yes, well, I thought they'd _do_ something, didn't I? Not just sit there while everyone eats endless cereal!"

"You said we had to be patient," Rory reminded him.

"Yes, you! You, not me! I hate being patient. Patience is for wimps!"

"Doctor," Evy called, drifting towards sleep, "Don't make me get up to smack you."

"I can't live like this," he stood up, moving to kneel by Evy, whispering, "Don't make me. I need to be busy."

She cracked her eyes open a bit and smiled, resting a hand on his cheek, "Then go be busy, we can watch the cubes for you."

If there was one thing being his Link and LJ's mother had taught her... _endless_ patience.

The Doctor grinned, kissing her quickly, then dropping a kiss to LJ's head as he turned in his sleep to cuddle up to his mother, and then pressed another kiss to Evy's forehead, before dashing out of the house.

Amy rolled her eyes at him while Rory shook his head.

Evy just let out a little laugh, "I give him an hour."

~8~

The Doctor had been on fire with the chores around the house. He'd creosoted the garden fence, played some football, mowed the lawn, repaired the car, vacuumed the house...after sonicing it silent so as not to wake LJ...before dropping onto the sofa with a sigh and a smile.

"That's better," he smiled at them, "Nothing like a bit of activity to pass the time. How long was I gone?"

"Er," Rory checked his watch, starting to laugh, "About an hour."

The Doctor shook his head, "I can't do it. No," he got up, moving over to Evy and the now awake LJ, having sensed his father's excitement at having gotten things done, "Come on boyo," he scooped LJ into his arms, holding out a hand to help Evy up before turning back for the TARDIS.

"Where are you going?" Amy got up, her and Rory following them.

"Brian?" Evy frowned, seeing the man sitting on the jump seat, staring at a cube, "Have you been here all this time?"

"He told me to watch the cubes," Brian nodded back at the Doctor.

"Four days ago."

"Ah!" he smiled, "Doesn't time fly when you're alone with your thoughts?"

Rory turned to the Doctor, who had just put LJ in his bouncy chair, the boy getting distracted by his Tricey action figure. That chair was actually quite a good method to keep LJ safe when the TARDIS jolted all over the place, the bounciness of the chair keeping him from being hurt during the landings. It had been _his_ idea for them to get the child that chair, "You can't just leave, Doctor."

"Yes, of course we can," the Doctor turned back, "Quick jaunt, restore sanity. Ooh, hey, come if you like."

"Doctor…" Evy began shaking her head.

They had talked about this when they'd accidently taken Brian on an adventure, no more random surprise adventures. If they were going to want Rory and Amy along, they'd land, talk about the adventure, and ask if they wanted to go. No more dropping in and pulling them along. He'd gotten her to concede to a clause that they could do that when there were surprises at stake, like birthdays or anniversaries, holidays. She'd begrudgingly agreed.

"They can't just go off like that," Brian agreed.

"Can't they?" he looked at Brian before looking at the Ponds, "Can't you? That's how it goes, isn't it?" he was hoping they'd say yes, prove to Evy that they loved the sneak/surprise adventures.

"I've got my job," Rory shook his head, Amy remaining silent.

"Oh yes, Rory," the Doctor rolled his eyes, "The Universe is waiting, but you have a little job to…ow!" he winced as Evy smacked him in the head.

"Be nice," Evy cut in, "He has a job, just like you do."

"I don't have a job," he pouted.

"You're a father, that's one job," she reminded him, "And my Link, another, and a Time Lord, that's three…and the Doctor!"

"Those last two aren't jobs," he remarked, agreeing to the first two.

"You fly about all through time and space, trying to help people, protect them, and save them, I'd say that qualifies as a job dear."

He had to nod at that.

"Just like I have all those jobs on top of babysitting you."

"Oi!"

Rory laughed at their little bicker and shook his head, "Look, it's not little to me, it's important. What you do isn't the only job out there."

The Doctor sighed, "Alright. Fine. We'll be back soon. Monitor the cubes."

"Call us," Evy added as they headed for the doors, "I'll make sure the Doctor doesn't destroy my phone again."

"And I'll have the TARDIS set to every Earth news feed," the Doctor nodded.

_Bye!_ LJ waved, shaking his rattle so the humans would notice him and wave in return.

~8~

As Amy and Rory laid awake in bed some months later, they thought about what had changed since the Doctor had disappeared four days after the cubes had arrived, taking Evy and LJ with them. Evy called them at least once a month, in their timeline, which they were _still_ trying to figure out how she did while in the timeless TARDIS.

"I said yes," Rory said, having just told her how his mates at the hospital had asked him to take a _fulltime_ position, "I committed."

"And I committed to being a bridesmaid. _Months_ in advance. Like I know I'm going to be here."

"So the Doctor's God knows where, with Evy ready to kill him for doing God knows what, while LJ laughs and watches, and the cubes aren't doing anything at all. Did real life just get started?"

She nodded, "I like it."

"So do I," Rory smiled, both of them clinking their teacups together to celebrate.

~8~

That June a rather irritated Amy was on the phone in her backyard, leaving a message with the Doctor as Rory hosted the barbeque they were throwing for their anniversary, "Hey! Doctor, Evy, it's me. Hello LJ. So, the U.N. classified the cubes as provisionally safe, whatever that means, and Banksy and Damien Hirst put out statements saying the cubes are _nothing_ to do with them. And the cubes, well, they're just here. Still. What's it been, nine months? People are just taking them for granted. Maybe we'll never know why they came. But anyway. I got to Laura's wedding. It was great. She's here tonight, being as it's our _wedding_ anniversary. We thought you lot might have dropped by with LJ, let us show our handsome nephew off. I left you messages…"

"Oh we know," Evy's voice said behind her.

She turned to see a large bouquet of flowers in her face, a bouquet which suddenly dropped to reveal that the Doctor had been holding them, Evy holding LJ who was dressed in a tiny tux…his potty mouth must have gotten him again. Poor boy, he was doing so well last she heard.

"Happy Anniversary Amy," Evy moved to hug her with her free arm, LJ wanting to join in on the love...by tugging a piece of Amy's hair as soon as he was close enough.

"Come with us," the Doctor cut in, taking Evy's hand and pulling her off with him, LJ grumbling that he hadn't gotten to hug Amy yet, "And bring your husband. Evy's letting me give you a surprise!"

~8~

The Doctor half-ran out of the TARDIS, throwing his arms out at a lavish, late 1800s style, hotel room, Evy and LJ following him before Amy and Rory stepped out, the humans dressed for the period.

"It's 26th of June, 1890," Evy began to explain…before the Doctor got too excited.

"The recently opened Savoy Hotel!" he cut in, "Dinner, bed and breakfast for two. Bonjour, bonjour. Merci, Auguste. You'll be back before the party's over. They won't even notice you went. No complications, I promise," he crossed his hearts as LJ clapped.

"Because I'LL be piloting the return trip," Evy rolled her eyes.

_But it's much more fun when daddy does it!_ LJ grumbled, crossing his little arms, still not very happy to have to wear a tux.

He was a very simple baby apparently. It seemed the dress sense his Older self had displayed in the Great Pyramid had been his usual style, simple, pants and a jumper. He didn't like getting all dressed up in fancy clothes, especially not a suit with its own little black bow-tie. The poor dear was afraid that the suit was cursed much like his daddy's had been.

Rory just shook his head at the gift and gave the Doctor a kiss on each cheek, making him laugh.

~8~

"Well then…" Evy cleared her throat as they sat outside in the snow, blankets around them. Amy and Rory looked a mess, smudges on their faces, their hair disheveled, their clothes torn and slightly singed. LJ was sitting between her legs, playing with the fallen snow, now dressed in his little winter thermals.

"Bit of a shock," the Doctor had to agree, his arm around Evy's shoulder, "Zygon ship under the Savoy, half the staff impostors. Still, it's all fixed now, eh?" he gave the humans a smile, but they just gave him a look.

_I told you the suit was bad luck!_ LJ poked his mother, grinning as smugly as a baby could now that his point had been prove.

Evy could only shake her head, there was a bit of the Doctor's ego shining through.

~8~

"Gentlemen!" a man shouted through the doors of a medieval style room, "Open the doors!"

The Doctor, Amy, Rory, Evy, and LJ scrambled around, LJ dressed as a bard of the times, much to his unamusement, he was silently pouting at how he'd called his 'Uncle' Rory a badass earlier when he'd been telling a story of punching a Nazi. And now he was dressed as a bard, ruffled collar, tights, floppy hat with a feather in it…he was starting to think he should watch his language.

"I thought we were going home?" Amy whispered as they tried to find somewhere to hide before the doors opened and the king after them entered.

"You can't miss a good wedding," the Doctor cut in, before pausing in thought and turning to Evy, "Perhaps we should have a go at one?"

She just whacked him on the back of the head for asking that at a time like this, "Get under the bed!" she ordered in a hushed tone.

They all quickly scrambled under there, LJ starting to giggle excitedly when the Doctor turned to him, holding a finger to his lips, "Shh!" it wasn't the same method he'd shown Craig, but just a simple shush that had LJ quiet, understanding that if his FATHER needed him quiet, he should be quiet.

His daddy hardly ever shut up himself.

"It wasn't my fault!" Amy defended.

"It was totally your fault!" Rory countered.

"Somebody was talking, and I just said yes."

"To _wedding vows_! You just married Henry VIII on _our_ anniversary."

The doors flew open and they could see someone enter…

And then the Doctor sneezed.

"Sorry," he whispered.

Evy just dropped her head into her hand and shook it, it seemed she'd have to use her womanly wiles again...hopefully Henry wouldn't recognize her.

~8~

The Doctor and Evy were standing off to the side at night, Evy bobbing and swaying, LJ sleeping in her arms, the two of them watching Amy and Rory cutting into a cake their friends had gotten for them, back at the party that June, having arrived only 20 minutes after they left.

"How long were they away?" Brian asked, walking over to the Time Lords.

"We don't know what you're talking about, Brian," the Doctor stated.

"Because they're wearing totally different clothes from earlier."

Evy smiled, "Very observant Brian," she sighed, "7 weeks," she shifted LJ in her arms, "The Doctor beat me to the console the last few trips," she sighed, he'd wanted to prove he could, in fact, get someone back to where they were meant to be...it hadn't worked...because LJ kept shouting ' _adventure!_ ' which had only served to spur his father on, "I _finally_ got him to let _me_ pilot them back."

"I got side-tracked," he admitted, "A lot."

"What happened to the other people who travel with you?" Brian asked after a moment.

The Doctor went very silent. Evy reached out and put a hand on his arm, offering her strength. He smiled, resting his hand over hers, before sighing, "Some left. Some got left behind. And some, not many but...some...died. Not them. Not them, Brian. Never them."

Evy rested her forehead against his shoulder, her eyes closed. Neither of them wanted to lose the Ponds…they were the first people they had seen after regenerating, together, for the first time. They were special to the Time Lords, as special and important as the human's daughter was to their son.

~8~

Later that night the Doctor stood with Amy, LJ asleep in his arms, "Can we stay here, with you and Rory, for a bit?" he asked, "Keep an eye on the cubes. However long that takes."

Amy eyed him, "I thought it would drive you mad."

He shook his head, Brian's words had put things in perspective, time was precious and a he had been trying to ignore, the fact that...the Ponds were nearly ready to stop the adventures entirely...had hit him, "No, no, no. I mean, I'll be better at it this time. Evy and I," he glanced at his Link, sitting in a lawn chair, chatting with Rory, "We miss you. LJ too."

Amy smiled, "I missed him as well."

"Oi!" he shouted quietly, laughing.

Amy shook her head, nudging him, "Of course I missed you too, you moron."

~8~

The trio of Time Lords sat on the Ponds' sofa, watching Lord Sugar ready to fire someone on the telly, "I sent you out to sell as many cubes as you could in 24 hours. And look at you, you've made a right hash of it, haven't you? Well, Craig, you're fired."

The Doctor sat in the middle of Rory and Evy, LJ on her lap as she tried to feed him some solid food, namely his father's favorite fish fingers and custard, while Amy sat half on the arm of the sofa and half on Rory's lap, the humans eating the snack as well, Evy with her own little apple slices on a plate before her.

"If I had a restaurant, this'd be all I'd serve," the Doctor grinned, happy.

"Yeah, right," Amy scoffed, "You, running a restaurant."

"He actually _has_ run restaurants before Amy," Evy said, laughing as LJ made a disgusted look and tried to spit up the fish fingers and custard, "Oh my poor boy," she gently wiped his face off, putting the nibbled treat on a napkin and moving to cut up her apples slices into tinier little bits.

"Who do you think invented the Yorkshire pudding?" the Doctor agreed.

"You didn't," Rory eyed him, not sure if he should believe the man.

"'Pudding, yet savoury.' Sound familiar?" he grinned.

"That's my boy," Evy spoke, drawing their attention. They laughed, seeing LJ happily munching on his apple bits.

"YOUR son," the Doctor smiled, giving her a peck. It wasn't often LJ displayed his 'Evy traits' but when he did, the Doctor loved pointing them out.

Their son was just like them, the perfect combination.

~8~

Amy smiled as she stepped behind her husband, wrapping her arms around him as he finished washing the dishes, "Good job, mister. Civilisations saved, surfaces wiped. What more could any woman ask for?"

"Ha ha," he rolled his eyes.

"I _mean_ it," she told him sincerely, kissing him.

He smiled, before frowning, "Where're the Doctor and Evy?"

"Showing LJ the Wii again. I'm going for a bath," she gave him another kiss and headed off, not noticing the cube on the table slide its lid open and close it again.

~8~

In the lounge the Doctor was standing before the TV, a Wii controller in his hand, in the middle of what seemed to be a fierce tennis match. Evy sat, laughing, on a sofa chair beside him, LJ in her lap, clapping and cheering on his daddy.

"Oh, yes!" the Doctor grinned, "Second set, Doctor!"

_Yay daddy!_ LJ clapped even more when his daddy won that round.

"Ha ha! Oh, if Fred Perry could see me now, eh?" he looked at Evy, "He'd probably ask for his shorts back," he shot her a wink, making her roll her eyes.

"I _still_ can't believe you pantsed him," she remarked.

He pouted, "He was hitting on you!" he half-shouted, like it was a justifiable defense. She laughed and shook her head before beckoning him over with a finger, "What?" he frowned, afraid he'd angered her but heading over anyway.

She just smiled and leaned closer, giving him a peck for his pout, "I'm too comfortable to get up," she shrugged, sitting back in the chair again.

He beamed and kissed her once more, deeper, till LJ started grumbling about their cooties.

The Doctor laughed and stepped back as the Wii blared, the next round about to start, "Third set decider, come on, then," he got ready, when suddenly one of the cubes moved to hover in front of him. Evy was immediately on her feet, but the Doctor didn't seem to notice, "Out of the way, dear, I'm trying to...ow!" he winced as Evy whacked him.

He turned to glare at her but she nodded back at the cube. He turned, eyeing it a moment before leaning in, speaking quietly, "Whatever you are, this planet, these people, are precious to us. And we will defend them to our last breaths," it just hovered and LJ clapped at the little speech, "Is that all you can do, hover? I had a metal dog could do that."

_Can I have a doggy?_ LJ asked his parents.

Before they could answer, the Doctor with a yes, Evy with a no, the cube opened, pointing a tube that reminded Evy far too much of the barrel of a gun to feel safe at them.

"Ooh, ooh, that's clever," the Doctor remarked, "What's that?"

The cube suddenly fired and the Doctor pulled Evy down with LJ, the boy starting to cry as the cube continued to attack, his parents scrambling behind the sofa with him, needing cover. The Doctor crouched down, looking under the sofa, only to see the cube had followed and fired. He jumped up and pulled Evy out of the room as the cube fired two more shots before flying before the TV when it was satisfied they were gone and scanning it, images flashing across it.

"Shh dear," Evy cradled LJ to her, trying to calm him, "It's alright."

The Doctor dropped a kiss to LJ's head before looking around the door at the cube, watching it surf the internet, "Ooh, you really have woken up."

"Doctor?" Rory shouted, running in from the kitchen, "Evy! Hi. Er, the cube in there, it…it just opened."

"The cube upstairs just spiked me and took my pulse!" Amy called, rushing down the stairs.

"Ha!" the Doctor grinned as LJ started to calm, "Really?" he turned to Amy and looked at her hand, seeing small dots on her palm, "Ours fired laser bolts and now it's surfing the net!"

Evy whacked him on the head, "That's _not_ something to be excited about!"

"You're never going to believe this," Brian entered the house, "My cube just moved. It _rattled_."

Rory rolled his eyes as his phone rang, "Hello?" he answered.

"Rory, mate," one of his coworkers gasped, "I'm desperate for help. People are saying they've been attacked by the cubes. It's going to be a long night!"

"Ok, I'm on my way," he hung up and turned to Amy, "I have to get to work. They need all the help they can get."

"Let me come," Brian stepped up, "Help out."

"Take your dad to work night, brilliant!" he smiled, "Ok, are you going to be alright here?" he asked Amy, kissing her quickly.

"Keep away from the cubes!" she warned.

"Right," he nodded, heading out with his father.

Amy turned to see the Doctor blowing a raspberry at LJ's stomach, making him laugh, calming him completely, and couldn't help but smile sadly. She'd gotten over the jealousy of seeing Evy with a baby, but she couldn't help but feel sad anyway at times.

Suddenly the Doctor stiffened and pulled the psychic paper from his pocket, starting to grin.

"What are you grinning about?" she asked.

"We're wanted," he smirked, waving the paper at LJ, making him clap at the location.

"Of course," Evy sighed, shaking her head fondly at her boys, "They _would_ get excited about being taken to the Tower of London."

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like father like son eh?
> 
> This chapter sort of explains my interpretation of why the Doctor was so devastated to lose Amy and Rory, not just because they were the first he saw but because Evy spent so long trying to get him to keep in touch with companions that, when he regenerated, he was more open to forming an attachment to them. So then, when Amy and Rory reach their finale, it hurts him so much more because he opened up more to them than he did Rose or Martha or Donna.
> 
> Lol, I think this line sums up the Doctor/Evy/LJ relationship perfectly 'The Doctor's God knows where, with Evy ready to kill him for doing God knows what, while LJ laughs and watches...' ^-^ What do you think? :)
> 
> Next chapter...poor Evy, having to deal with the Link and the Doctor's heart giving out :( But...LJ says his first words! Poor Doctor gets smacked for it though :)


	9. The Power of Three (Part 2)

A car pulled up to the Tower, Kate standing there, waiting, as the door opened and the trio stepped out with Amy, "Every cube across the whole world activated at the same moment," Kate told them, leading them into the Tower, which had apparently become UNIT's base for the moment.

"Now we're in business!" the Doctor laughed as LJ clapped in Evy's arms, "You sent me a message to my psychic paper. You know what? I'm almost impressed."

"Secret base beneath the Tower," Amy observed, "Hope we're not here because we know too much."

"Yes, I've got officers trained in beheading," Kate replied, a hint of seriousness in her voice, "Also...ravens of death."

"I like her," Amy smirked.

_Can I have a raven of death mummy?_ LJ looked up at his mother.

She sighed and shook her head, turning to the Doctor, "Maybe we should get him a goldfish or something," she suggested, "Maybe he'll stop asking for all these dangerous animals."

The Doctor just put an arm around her shoulders, "He is MY son dear," he reminded her as LJ started to tug on Evy's hair, "That'll never happen."

She could only pray that it was a phase.

"There are fifty being monitored," Kate called, pulling their attention back as they entered a monitoring and containment room of sorts, different compartments set up with cubes in them, testing them, trying to destroy them, seeing the effect they would have on people, "And more coming in all the time. I don't know how useful it is. Every cube is behaving individually. There's no meaningful pattern. Some respond to proximity. Some create mood swings..." she nodded at a woman sobbing in a booth with a cube.

Amy touched the glass of one and the cube shot out flames.

_Awesome!_ LJ clapped, seeing it, which only made Evy shake her head and hope her son wouldn't also develop a love of explosions...though knowing River...and Jack...and the Doctor, it seemed rather likely he would.

Amy paused when she caught sight of one booth that seemed to be heavily warded, "Er, what's this one?"

"Try the door," Kate nodded at it. Amy frowned but opened it, only for 'the Birdie Song' to start playing loudly, "On a loop!" she shouted over the noise, till Amy shut the door, "This is the latest," she led them over to a large computer network setup with a man in glasses sitting in front of it.

"Oh dear," the Doctor eyed the screens, "Look boyo," he pointed for LJ, "Systems breach at the Pentagon, China, every African nation, the Middle East..."

"I've got governments screaming for explanations and no idea what to tell them. I'm lost, Doctor. We all are."

"Don't despair, Kate. Your dad never did," he glanced at Kate who looked started, but he smiled, "Kate Stewart, heading up UNIT, changing the way they work. How could you not be? Why did you drop Lethbridge?"

"I didn't want any favours. Though he guided me, even to the end. 'Science leads,' he always told me. Said he'd learned that from an old friend."

"We won't let him down," Evy called, putting a hand on the Doctor's arm, "We won't let the planet down either."

_Don't worry!_ LJ tried to help reassure her, if only the woman could understand Baby, _We'll save the Earth!_

"They've stopped," the man before them said suddenly, "The cubes, across the world, they just shut down."

"Active for 47 minutes, and then they just...die?" Kate shook her head.

Evy stepped forward and pressed a few buttons, accessing UNIT's records of the cube activity, setting it to race across the screen at a pace only three people, well two and a baby, could keep up with, "No," she sighed, "Definitely not dead," she glanced at the Doctor, "I'd say they're dormant. For now."

"Then why shut down?" Amy shook her head.

"I don't know," the Doctor said, moving to smack himself in the forehead when Evy grabbed his hand, "I don't know. I need to think. I need some air," he squeezed her hand and pulled her out of the room with him, complaining, "Who has an underground base? Terrible ventilation."

~8~

The Doctor sighed as he sat between Amy and Evy by the banks of the Thames, LJ in his lap, the boy's attention completely on the stars as Evy rested her head on his shoulder, "The moment they arrived, I should have made sure they were collected and burned. That is what I should have done."

"Coulda, woulda, shoulda," Evy shrugged, moving to take his hand, absently playing with his fingers, "Too late now."

"And how?" Amy added, "Nobody would have listened."

"You're thinking of stopping, aren't you?" the Doctor glanced at Amy, "You and Rory."

"No. I mean, we haven't made a decision..."

"But you're considering it," Evy nodded, her voice growing soft and distant.

Amy sighed, "Maybe. I don't know. _We_ don't know. Well, our lives have changed so much. But there was a time, there were years, when I couldn't live without you. When just the whole everyday thing would drive me crazy. But since you dropped us back here, since you gave us this house, you know, we've built a life. I don't know if I can have both."

"Why?" the Doctor frowned.

"Because they pull at each other. Because they pull at me. And because the travelling is starting to feel like running away."

"That's not what it is."

"Oh, come on. Look at you, four days in a lounge and you go crazy."

"I'm not running away," he told her, moving to look at Evy who had drifted off on his shoulder. He smiled softly at that, motherhood, for all its wonders, had made her tired more often, he'd catch her having little naps in the most random places. He dropped a kiss to her head as she snuggled into him, before he turned to Amy, speaking quietly, "But this is one corner of one country in one continent on one planet that's a corner of a galaxy that's a corner of a Universe that is forever growing and shrinking and creating and destroying and never remaining the same for a single millisecond. And there is so much, _so much_ to see, Amy. Because it goes so fast. I'm not running away from things, I am running to them before they flare and fade forever," he sighed, "And it's alright. Our lives won't run the same. They can't. One day, soon maybe, you'll…stop. I've known for a while."

"Then why do you keep coming back for us?"

"LJ loves you," he shrugged, there were so many reasons, "Evy misses you. And...because you were the first. The first face this face saw. And you're seared onto my hearts, Amelia Pond, into Evy's as well. And LJ's. You always will be. I'm running to you, and Rory, before you fade from me."

"Don't be nice to me. I don't want you to be nice to me."

"Yeah, you do, Pond," he grinned, "And you're just like LJ you always get what you want."

Amy chuckled under her breath, "He didn't get that dinosaur."

But the Doctor didn't react to that, not even with a secretive 'not yet' but instead stiffened, "They got what they wanted..."

"What? Who did?"

"The cubes!" the Doctor yelled, startling Evy awake, "That's why they stopped. Come on," he quickly scooped LJ into his arms and helped Evy up, pulling her back to the Tower with Amy.

~8~

"Kate?" the Doctor shouted as they neared her, "Before they shut down, they scanned everything, from your medical limits to your military response patterns. They made a complete assessment of Planet Earth and its inhabitants. That's what the surge of activity was."

The power cut off suddenly and Evy sighed, pulling out her sonic to scan around, having to jerk her arm to keep LJ, who was back in her hold, from grabbing it. The little boy was _far_ too curious for his own good. She glanced at the results and then Kate, "Any way to cut the power here from Earth?"

"Not possible," Kate frowned, "We've got backups."

"Not as good as the ones Evy can rig up," the Doctor grinned.

Evy smiled and flicked her sonic, holding it above her head to turn the lights back on.

"Doctor?" Amy tensed, "Evy? Look..." she pointed at a box, now with a lit up '7' on the side of it.

"What?" the Doctor gestured for Evy to stay back as he soniced the box himself.

"Why do they all say seven?" Kate asked.

The Doctor frowned, "Seven. Seven," he turned to Evy, "What's important about seven?"

_Seven days of the week,_ LJ tried to help.

Evy nodded, "Seven wonders of the world, seven streams of the River Ota, seven sides of a cube…"

"A cube has _six_ sides," Amy cut in.

"True," Evy nodded, "But there's also the in _side_."

There was a cling and they turned to see the cubes now said '6.'

"Well it's clearly a countdown," Evy remarked, shifting LJ in her arms.

"Not in minutes," Kate shook her head.

"Why would it be minutes?" the Doctor sighed, "Kate, we have to get humanity away from those cubes. God knows what they'll do if they hit zero. Get the information out any way you can. News channels, websites, radio, text messages. People have to know that the cubes are dangerous."

"Ok, but why is this starting now?" Amy asked, "I mean, the cubes arrived _months_ ago. Why wait this long?"

"Because that's the clever way to do things," Evy answered, "If they sit around long enough, not doing anything, people will assume they're just cubes, that they're harmless. After they decide that, people will think they're safe enough to collect, to take into their homes, to leave around their children."

The Doctor nodded, rubbing LJ's back as he squirmed more, wanting to look at the cubes closer, "Humans, the great early adopters. And then, wham! Profile every inch of Earth's existence."

"Discover how best to attack us!" Kate realized.

"Get that information out any way you can. Go!"

"Right," Kate nodded, rushing off.

The Doctor turned back to the computer to see Evy flashing it with her sonic, "If every cube was activated at the same time, there _had_ to have been a signal. And not just one, but a number of them. A signal of that size would send out energy fluctuations on a colossal scale," she glanced at the Doctor, "There's _got_ to be a trace of it somewhere."

He nodded, "There can't not be. We need to think of all the variables, all the possibilities, ok?" he looked at a few scientists around the room, "Go, go, go, go, go!"

The man in the glasses before them brought up a screen to the news stations, keeping an eye out on what the cubes were doing on a world wide scale, "This is a national security alert. The Government advises that members of the public dispose of all cubes. If there are cubes inside your house, remove them immediately."

They glanced back at a cling to see the number drop to '4.'

The Doctor looked at a cube in a booth, intently, before turning to Evy, opening his mouth.

"Oh, no," she shook her head, "Absolutely not."

~8~

Evy was grumbling under her breath, LJ giggling at his mother's sour mood and death-threats against his father, as the man himself prepared to enter the booth with the cube. She was _still_ trying to figure out how he'd managed to convince her to let him do this.

"Doctor, please," Amy said, voicing Evy's thoughts, "You don't have to do this."

"She's right," Kate nodded, sending worried glances at Evy who was glaring daggers at the Doctor, not _at all_ pleased with the situation, "You don't have to be in there. We can do this remotely."

"Listen to the Stewart dear," Evy added.

_Don't listen to them daddy!_ LJ called, _Girls are silly._

'Oi!' Evy mock-scolded her son, though there was a humor in her eyes.

"Remotely isn't my style," the Doctor countered, giving Evy a reassuring smile before kissing her quickly, "See you after."

"You'd better," Evy threatened, "Or I'll kill you."

He shot her a wink and stepped into the booth with the cube just as it changed to '2.' He moved to a chair and sat down, the cube quickly moving to '1' much faster than before. He sat back and waited, grinning when it made it to '0' and switched off, the lid popping open.

"Geronimo," he smirked, leaning in to peer inside it, scanning it with the sonic.

"Don't do that!" Evy rolled her eyes, shaking her head at him, of course he'd want to get his face right up close.

"What's happening?" Kate asked.

_What's in it?_ LJ squirmed, trying to get closer despite his mummy holding him back, _Daddy, what's in there?!_

"Well?" Amy called, echoing LJ's question, "What's in there?"

"There is nothing in here," he sighed, sitting back a moment before getting up.

"Er, well, that's good. It's not...it's not bombs, it's not aliens."

"Why?" he looked at them through the glass, "Why is there nothing inside? Why? It doesn't make any sense," he turned and stepped out of the booth, moving back to the computers, "Glasses…"

Evy whacked him on the back of the head, "His name is Marvin!" she said, noting his name tag.

The Doctor winced and rubbed his head, "Marvin…" he amended, "Is it the same? Is it the same all around the world?"

"They're empty," Kate shook her head, frowning, "We're safe, right?"

_That would be anticlimactic,_ LJ pouted, crossing his little arms, he was hoping for something...more.

Evy rolled her eyes at that, like father like son.

"Ah, no, no, no, we are very far from safe. All along, every action has been deliberate. Why draw attention to the cubes if they don't contain anything?"

"So people will do what you did," Evy answered, "And look inside, get close…"

"Look," Amy cut in, pointing at a monitor.

They watched in horror as people on the screen started clutching their chests and collapsing to the ground.

"They're CCTV feeds from across the world," Marvin's eyes widened, "They're showing the same."

_What's wrong with them?_ LJ looked at his parents, concerned for the humans.

"People are dying!" Kate stared, wide eyed.

"What?" the Doctor shook his head, "They can't be dying. How? How are they dying?"

"I want information on how people are being affected."

"The cubes brought people close together. They opened and then...argh!" the Doctor suddenly fell back on a chair, clutching his chest.

"Doctor, what's the matter?" Amy ran to his side.

"Amy!" Evy called, staggering. Amy ran over, "Take him!" she handed the girl LJ before she fell to her knees, rubbing her chest as well.

LJ started crying, seeing his parents in pain.

"Ah, I don't know," the Doctor wheezed, grabbing at his chest, before falling off the chair and making his way to Evy's side.

"Hospitals are logging a global surge in heart failures," Marvin reported, "Cardiac arrests."

"That's it!" the Doctor pointed at him, "Oh! Oh! Oh! Only one heart. Other one's not working."

Evy grimaced, "And mine feels like it's not."

That, in her opinion, was the _only_ downside of the Link. You would know if your Link was in danger, if they were hurt, yes, which was fantastic to know so you could get them help, however…the pain one person would feel from their Link being harmed could be almost as crippling.

"Ok," Amy frantically bobbed LJ, trying to calm him, but worried herself for her best friends, "I'm going to get you two to the hospital!" she moved forward, about to help them up when the Doctor held up a hand.

"Oh, no, no, no, no. Just a short circuit," he looked at Marvin, his hand clutching Evy's the moment he reached her, "Tell me, show me. Ten seconds after the cubes opened, show me the patterns in their electrical currents."

Marvin quickly brought up the pattern, a heartbeat.

"See?" the Doctor pointed.

Kate's eyes widened in horror, "No!"

Evy nodded, rubbing her chest, "When they cut the power before, they were using it to store against you…" she winced as the Doctor cried out in pain, getting another painful ache in his chest, "The cubes, they're not just cubes, they're signal boxes. When everyone leaned in, it put them in range for the surge out at the hearts nearest to them."

The Doctor panted, "The heart, an organ powered by electrical currents, short-circuited. How to destroy a human? Go for the heart. Ow. Crikey Moses."

"Evy, the scan you set running," Kate called as the computer beeped, "The transmitter locations. It's found them."

The Time Lords pushed themselves to look over, seeing seven points on the Earth where the signals came from, "And look at them all, pulsing bold as brass," the Doctor breathed, "Seven of them, all across the world. Ow!" he grimaced, starting to beat his chest seven times, trying to restart his heart, "Seven stations, seven minutes. Why is that important? Argh!" and another pain hit him, making Evy bite her lip to keep quiet, "Ow, ow," he bit his tongue, trying to keep from crying out again, LJ was getting frantic now, he wanted his mummy and daddy but they couldn't take him. With the pains…they didn't want to drop him or hurt him, so for now his 'Aunt Amy' would have to do, "How do you people manage?" he glanced at LJ, trying to lighten the mood, "One heart, it is _pitiful_."

"There's a wormhole," Evy managed to flash the computer with her sonic, showing the signals uniting and going off to a spot in space just above the Earth, "It's bridging two dimensions. Seven of them streaming from this planet…we need to find the closest one…"

Marvin quickly got to work, locating the nearest point and zooming in.

"It's the hospital where Rory works," Amy breathed, now starting to get really scared, which did little to comfort LJ.

~8~

In the hospital, Kate and the Doctor were walking ahead of Amy and Evy, the ginger holding the hiccupping baby while his mother ran her hand along the back of his head, trying to calm him and assure him she and his father would be fine. He'd calmed considerably since the Tower, having been able to sit on his parents lap on the ride over, both assuring him that they'd make it. They still had their other heart, they'd be fine.

It was a lie.

It hurt like hell and if they didn't find a way to restart the Doctor's other heart soon, the strain of his one heart sustaining him alone would be too much for it.

But they weren't about to tell their baby boy that.

"How many deaths have been recorded?" the Doctor looked at Kate.

"We don't know," she sighed, "We think it could be a third of the population."

"Kate, we have to find the wormhole, but the attacks could still happen. Tell the world. Tell them how to deal with this. The world needs your leadership right now."

"I'll do my best," she promised.

"Of course you will," Evy nodded as Kate passed, "You're a Stewart. Good luck."

Kate quickly rushed off, just as the Doctor fell against the wall of the hospital, clutching his chest, "Argh! Argh!"

Evy had managed to remain standing, though her face was pained and strained and she was hunched over, holding her chest as well, LJ watching them both in concern, trying not to cry, trying to be as brave as his daddy always was.

"Ok," Amy leaned in, hissing quietly at them as she covered LJ's ears with a hand, "How long are you going to last with only one heart?"

"Not much longer," the Doctor admitted, "But we need to locate the wormhole portal…"

Evy pulled out her sonic, the sooner they stopped whatever was causing the pulses in the cubes the sooner they could reverse it all and get the Doctor's heart started again. She flashed the hallway, trying to pick up the wormhole…when her sonic picked up something else…a little black girl just standing there, expressionless, holding a cube, "That's not right…" she frowned, bringing her sonic closer, till the girl's face flashed blue.

"Oh, my God," Amy's eyes widened at the sight.

"She's an outlier droid," Evy explained, changing the sonic's setting, "She's their eyes, monitoring everything. I can shut her down though…" the girl slowly collapsed, and Evy and the Doctor lowered her to the ground, when the Doctor fell back against the wall, the worst pain yet hitting him.

"I can't," he breathed, looking at Evy, taking her hand, "I can't do it. I need both hearts…"

Amy looked around before quickly putting LJ in Evy's arms, assuming it was safe as she had collapsed to sit next to the Doctor, and grabbed a portable defibrillator off a nearby cart, "Alright. Desperate measures," she turned to the Doctor whose eyes widened.

"What?" he gaped as Amy came closer, setting the machine down and starting it up, "No. No, no, no. That won't work. I'm a Time Lord."

Amy just ripped open his shirt.

Evy couldn't help but laugh at that, "All my life I've dreamed of doing that," she nudged Amy's leg with her foot, "And I missed it by being someone else," she mimicked Amy's earlier words.

Amy gave her a smile, knowing she was only saying that to try and distract LJ, having guessed what Amy was about to do. She nodded, taking up the paddles, "Alright, clear!" and pressed them to the Doctor's chest and side, shocking him.

"Woo!" he jumped, actually _jumped_ to his feet as his heart started again, Evy sighing in relief, rubbing her chest lightly as the pain faded from her as well, "Oh! Ooh! Welcome back, lefty! Whoa-ho! Two hearts! Woo! Back in the game. Ah," he leaned forward to drop a kiss to LJ's forehead as the boy clapped, to Evy's lips as she smiled at him, and Amy's head…before pointing a warning finger at her, "Never do that to me again."

~8~

The trio and Amy paused before the goods lift, where Evy's scan had led them, "Ah, portal to another dimension in a goods lift?" Amy eyed it as the lift pinged and the doors opened.

"This is where the energy signals are converging," Evy shrugged as they stepped in.

"Does seem a bit cramped, though," the Doctor remarked, tickling LJ's stomach as he sat in his arms, wanting to be closer to his daddy as he had been in the most danger before.

Evy frowned, the sonic beeping at the back wall and reached out to touch it, making the wall wibble.

The Doctor grinned, "Through the looking glass, Amelia?" he glanced at Amy who smirked, taking Evy's outstretched hand, all of them stepping through…

And into a dark spaceship, an examination sort of room just ahead with small slabs set up, men and women lying on them.

"Where are we?" Amy asked.

The Doctor glanced out a broad window to see the Earth outside, a light blue aura around it, "We're in orbit."

Evy looked at her sonic's reading before putting it in its holster, "And apparently one dimension to the left."

"Rory!" Amy cried, rushing forwards when she spotted Rory lying on a slab, next to Brian who was on a portable one.

"Ah," the Doctor tossed Amy a small vial, "Soborian smelling salts. Outlawed in seven galaxies."

Amy quickly waved it under Rory's nose, making him jolt up…when someone suddenly shot at them.

"Get down!" Evy shouted, her and the Doctor quickly ducking behind a slab as LJ started cheering at the excitement. Apparently their son didn't think it was a real adventure till someone started threatening their lives.

Wonderful.

"What kind of a welcome do you call that?" the Doctor muttered, glancing over to see an old man, dressed in black, with an worn and dry face standing there.

"Amy," Evy turned to the ginger, "Get Rory and Brian out! Go!"

"What are you going to do?" Amy asked as Rory went to wake up his father with the vial.

"Absolutely no idea," the Doctor admitted.

_It's a thing!_ LJ cheered, he loved when his father made it up as he went.

"Just get him to the portal and get out!" Evy urged her on.

Amy dashed off to the portable slab where Brian had just jolted awake, her and Rory pushing it out of the room as the alien shot at them.

The Doctor and Evy kept low, waiting till the shots died down…the defense system was only geared to target humans, according to the scan Evy had gotten when they'd first entered the ship, they were safe as an alien species.

"So many of them," the man said as they slowly stood, "Crawling the planet, seeping into every corner."

They watched as the man disappeared and reappeared in front of seven hexagonal shaped monitors.

"It's not possible," the Doctor breathed, handing LJ to Evy so he'd be free to defend them if it came to it, "I thought the Shakri were a myth. A myth to keep the young of Gallifrey in their place."

LJ quieted at that, actually just a little bit scared now, not of the danger around them, no, his parents would protect him, but of the man, the Shakri. While his parents hadn't told him that legend themselves, he _did_ know of it from their memories.

"The Shakri exist in all of time, and none," the man rasped, "We travel alone and together. The Seven."

"You connected the Shakri craft to Earth with seven portals in seven minutes," Evy nodded, "Why?"

"Serving the word of the Tally."

"Why the cubes?" the Doctor shook his head, "Why Earth?"

"Not Earth, _humanity_. The Shakri will halt the human plague before the spread."

"Erase humanity before it colonizes space. We thought the cubes were an invasion. The start of war."

"The human contagion _only_ must be eliminated."

"Who are you calling a contagion?" Amy scoffed as she and Rory came back in.

"Didn't I tell you to get out?" Evy smiled at the ginger, she should have known Amy wouldn't listen.

"You should have learned by now," Rory returned the smile.

"Yeah," Amy nodded, before eyeing the man, "And what is this Tally anyway?"

"Some people call it Judgment Day, or the Reckoning," the Doctor murmured.

"Don't you know?"

"It's not something he's ever wanted to find out," Evy answered, "If you can believe it."

"Before the Closure, there is the Tally," the Shakri continued, "The Shakri serves the Tally."

"The pest controllers of the Universe, that's how the tales went, isn't it?" the Doctor eyed him.

"Wow," Amy reached out and tickled LJ's chin, "That's some seriously weird bedtime story…you tell LJ those things?"

"You can talk," the Doctor countered, "Wolf in your grandmother's nightdress?"

Evy rolled her eyes, "I actually _have_ taken to reading him poetry for stories," Evy told her.

"So," the Doctor shook his head, being, for once, the one to get them back on topic, as he turned to the Shakri…

Evy smiled, ' _Get ready Sigma_ ,' she told her son silently, sensing an 'epic speech' on the horizon. LJ started to squirm excitedly.

"Here you are," the Doctor continued, "Depositing slug pellets all over the Earth, made attractive so humans will collect them, hoping to find something beautiful inside. Because that's what _they_ are. Not pests or plague, creatures of hope, forever building and reaching. Making mistakes, of course, every life form does. But... _but_ they learn. And they strive for greater, and they achieve it. You want a tally. Put their achievements against their failings through the whole of time, I will back humanity against the Shakri every time."

LJ started clapping excitedly at that, making the Doctor smile and shoot him a wink, pointing at his son.

"The Tally must be met," the Shakri repeated, "The second wave will be released."

"What does that mean?" Amy asked.

Evy sighed, "Means more cubes to kill more people."

"The human plague breeding and fighting," the Shakri nearly spat, "And when cornered, their rage to destroy. You're too late, Doctor. The Tally shall be met!"

And with that, he vanished.

"He's gone?" Amy looked around, afraid the man might appear behind her.

"He was never really here," the Doctor said, moving over to the panel of monitors, "Just the ship's automated interface, like a talking propaganda poster. I can stop the second wave," he started to sonic the controls, "I can disconnect all the Shakri craft from their portals, leave them drifting in the darkspace. Ah, but all those people who were near the cubes, so many of them will have died…"

"I restarted one of your hearts," Amy reminded him.

Rory shook his head, "You'd need mass defibrillation."

"Of course!" the Doctor grinned, "Ah, beautiful. But, Ponds, Ponds. We are going to go one _better_ than that. The Shakri used the cubes to turn people's hearts off. Bingo! We're going to use them to turn them back on again!"

"Will that work?" Amy asked as Evy pulled out her sonic to help him.

"Well, creatures of hope. Has to."

"We've thirty seconds till the cubes activate again," Evy put her sonic away.

"Don't let us down, cubes," he grinned, "You're working for us now…" and then he spotted a flashing warning, "Oh dear. All those cubes. There's going to be a terrible wave of energy ricocheting around here any second. We…"

"Wun!" LJ squealed.

The group looked down at him, stunned, save for the Doctor who just patted LJ on the head, "Yes boyo, we won."

"No…dear," Evy breathed, staring at LJ, "I think he just…"

The Doctor's eyes widened as he looked awed and proud at LJ, "He said his first word!"

"Wun!" LJ giggled again, "Wun! Wun!"

"Is he saying 'won' or…" Evy frowned.

"Later!" Amy shouted, grabbing her arm and pulling her while Rory grabbed the Doctor.

They dashed out of the room, jumping into the lift as the explosion jolted behind them.

Evy panted and looked at the Doctor from where she was lying on her back, LJ on her chest, and whacked him on the back of the head as hard as she could.

"OW!" he shouted, "What was _that_ for?"

"Only YOUR son would have 'RUN' as his _first words_!" she grumbled.

He blinked, realizing LJ hadn't been saying that they _won_ , but that they should _run_ , "Aw," he smiled at how his son hadn't grasped the 'r' sound, "Bless."

"Amy," Evy turned to her, sitting up and holding LJ out, "Will you hold him a moment?"

"Of course," Amy beamed, taking him, "But why?"

"I'd like my hands free when I kill his father."

The Doctor's eyes widened and he jumped up, running out of the lift as Evy chased after him, the humans glancing at each other before laughing.

_But I wanted to watch!_ LJ grumbled, not that they could understand him.

~8~

The Doctor, Evy, and LJ stood before Kate that morning, just outside the Tower, "You, er, you really _are_ as remarkable as dad said," Kate told the Doctor, kissing him on his cheek, "Thank you."

He laughed, "My! A kiss from a Lethbridge Stewart," he glanced at Evy.

She laughed as well, "That's new."

Kate smiled and dropped a little kiss onto LJ's head, laughing when the boy tried to wipe it off.

"Oh dear," the Doctor glanced at his watch, "We're late for dinner," he gave Kate a salute before helping Evy and LJ into the UNIT car, ready to get back to the Ponds.

~8~

The small family sat around the kitchen table, Amy and Rory on one side, with Brian and Evy, with LJ in her lap, on the other, the Doctor sitting on a chair a the end, all eating Chinese with chopsticks.

"Poor boy," Evy smiled as LJ yawned, starting to doze as he rested on her chest, "We'd better get going Doctor," she started to stand.

The Doctor nodded, smiling at the sight of his son ready to sleep, "Things to do, worlds to save, swings to…swing on…" he took Evy's hand and they stepped around the Ponds, about to leave when the Doctor held up a finger, signaling for her to wait a moment, before he turned back to the Ponds, putting his arms around them, standing between them, "Look, we know, you both have lives here. Beautiful, messy lives. That is what makes you so fabulously human. You don't want to give them up. We understand."

"Actually, it's _you_ they can't give up," Brian stated, glancing at the trio of Time Lords, before smiling, "And I don't think they should. Go with him," he urged his son and daughter-in-law, "Go save every world you can find. Who else has that chance? Life will still be here."

"You could always come with us Brian," Evy called quietly, LJ completely asleep now, his little hand curled around a lock of his mother's hair.

Brian smiled at the sight but shook his head, "Somebody's got to water the plants. Just bring them back safe."

Amy smiled and headed out with them. She and Rory waited as the Doctor moved to unlock the TARDIS, watching the sight of the small family, unable to think about that year, the year of the slow invasion, when the Earth got cubed, and the Doctor came to stay. And she realized something, watching the Doctor drop a kiss on LJ's head as the boy squirmed in his sleep, the Shakri never understood what cubed actually meant.

"Come on Ponds," the Doctor called, his arm around Evy as she held LJ.

And as she followed the trio of Time Lords into the box, she knew exactly what cubed meant, the power of three.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, about LJ...how adorable right?! I truly could not imagine the son of the Doctor's first words NOT being 'Run!' :) How many of you loved/were hoping for that?
> 
> Next chapter...someone was dressed as a clown, Older LJ makes an appearance, and...Rory isn't the only one to be sent back in time }:)


	10. The Angels Take Manhattan (Part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2 quick notes, 'Melody Malone,' to tie into a spin-off I have on FF.net for this story, will be 'Harmony Brooks' :) And Older LJ is, obviously, his older self, LJ is just the baby :) Enjoy!

"'New York growled at my window," the Doctor spoke, reading from a book as he sat with his back to Amy, who was working on a crossword puzzle. LJ was in his lap, eating a piece of bread while Evy laid on her stomach across from him, playing with LJ as he read to them, Rory lying on his back, dozing in the sun as they picnicked on a rock near a duck pond in modern day Central Park, New York. He smiled down at LJ making a growling noise to go with his narration, making the boy giggle, "But I was ready for it. My stocking seams were straight, my lipstick was combat ready, and I…" Evy put her hands over LJ's ears, "Was packing cleavage that could fell an ox at twenty feet…'" before letting go as LJ grumbled about how he was missing the story.

"Doctor, you're doing it again," Amy cut in.

"I'm reading!" he defended.

" _Aloud_. Please could you not?"

The Doctor glanced back at her, "There's something different about you, isn't there?"

"What's the book?" Rory asked, cracking an eye open to look over at them.

"'Harmony Brooks,'" Evy answered, taking the bread from LJ as he started to play with it, tearing it to little pieces instead of eating it, "It's about a woman who's a private detective in old New York who solves crimes with her partner, Ian Smith."

"He's a playful man with an intimidating stature who can talk anyone into a confession," Amy recited, "While she's got ice in her heart and a kiss on her lips, and a vulnerable side she keeps well hidden."

The Doctor glanced back at her, "Oh, you've read it?"

Evy laughed, "She has, because YOU read it out loud dear."

Amy nodded, "And then LJ went 'wow!'"

Evy had to smile at that, taking her son's hands in her own as he waved them excitedly, grumbling about wanting his daddy to finish he story. He'd been speaking more, usually one syllable words, for some reason only ones that started with 'w' or 'r'…which ended up sounding like 'w' and right now it was...

"Weed!" LJ called.

Rory chuckled as he looked over, sitting up, "Only your kid could fancy someone in a book."

_Ewww…_ LJ's face scrunched at the thought of fancying someone, _She's…cool!_

' _Yes she is,_ ' Evy projected to him.

He'd gotten much better at keeping his potty mouth under control. That last outfit she'd put him in had seemed to get through to him, they'd gone to a planet the Doctor had mentioned to Amy before he'd disappeared for 200 years, the 'volatile circus' and she'd dressed LJ as a clown, complete with rainbow hair and big red nose.

He'd gotten surprisingly better at watching his language after that.

_Like you!_ LJ squealed, shaking his hands so Evy would focus on him again.

' _Thanks dear,_ ' she leaned forward to kiss his hands.

"LJ wanted me to read it to him," the Doctor defended, pulling Evy's attention back, "He liked the cover."

"Ooh, can we see the cover?" Amy turned, trying to snatch the book.

But the Doctor leaned away, "No, no, I'm busy. It's your hair! Is it your hair?"

"Oh, shut up," Amy shook her head.

"She's wearing glasses," Evy told him, taking pity on him.

Amy nodded, pointing at the round spectacles on her nose, "I wear reading glasses now…"

"Glasses are cool eh?" Evy nudged the Doctor's knee as she moved to sit up, moving LJ to her lap to face his daddy.

The Doctor winked at her before he turned back to Amy, eyeing the glasses, "I don't like them. They make your eyes look all liney…" and then Evy smacked him on the head, "No, actually," he winced, realizing it wasn't the _glasses_ making her eyes look liney, "Sorry. They're fine. Carry on."

"Ok," Rory began, "I'm going to go and get us some more coffee. Who wants more coffee? Me too. I'll go!"

Evy laughed and got up, shifting LJ back to the Doctor, "I'll go with you Rory," she gave the Doctor a peck and headed off with Rory.

"Rory," Amy eyed him, making him pause, "Do I have noticeable lines on my eyes now?"

"Yes," the Doctor said promptly.

"LJ," Evy called and the boy bit the Doctor's hand with his two little teeth that had started to break through.

"Ow!"

"Be nice!" Evy laughed.

"Rory?" Amy asked.

"No," Rory said quickly.

Amy pursed her lips, his back was still to her, "You didn't look."

"I noticed them earlier," he corrected, before wincing when he realized what he'd said, " _Didn't_ notice them," he backtracked, "I specifically remember _not_ noticing them."

"You walk among fire pits, Centurion."

Rory turned to look at her, "Do I have to come over there?"

Amy smirked, "You can if you like."

He grinned and made his way over, "Well, we have company."

"I'll get a babysitter," Amy whispered, leaning in to kiss Rory.

_Cooties!_ LJ covered his eyes and groaned, a sound mimicked by his father.

"Oh, do you know, it is _so_ humiliating when you do that," the Doctor told them.

"Come on Rory," Evy laughed, "Coffee everyone?"

"Coffee," Amy nodded as the duo headed off.

"Can I have a go?" the Doctor turned back to Amy once he lost sight of Evy and Rory around a turn in the path, she handed over her glasses and he slipped them on, "Oh, actually, that is much better. That is exciting," he tickled LJ's stomach as he giggled.

"Weed!" LJ called, clapping.

Amy laughed, "Oh go on, read to us," she shifted, taking the baby from him to set in her lap, playing with him.

"I thought you didn't like my reading aloud," he remarked.

"Yes well your son clearly wants you to continue…"

"Weed!" LJ shouted again, "Weed!"

She laughed, "Might as well enjoy it too. Just…don't go 'yowzah' or I'll have to smack you for Evy."

The Doctor chuckled, "Harmony's not Evy, no danger of that there," he told her before ripping out the last page of the book.

"Why did you do that?" Amy frowned at that.

"I always rip out the last page of a book. Then it doesn't have to end. I hate endings," he put the page in the picnic basket and returned to reading, "'As Ian and I crossed the street, we saw the thin guy and the blonde girl, but they didn't see us. I guess that's how it began…'"

~8~

Rory and Evy walked back down the paths of the park with their coffees, Rory had a cup holder of four coffees while Evy had a small cup of her own with some juice for LJ. Both just chatting about whether Amy was smacking the Doctor by then and how hard LJ might be laughing at it. They passed a fountain with small cherubs carved into the side…one of them snarling as they passed…before it disappeared.

Evy frowned, hearing a giggling behind them and looked back. Rory paused and turned with her, before Evy shook her head and they continued on. They'd _just_ stepped under a small overpass…when Rory heard the giggling this time and paused, looking back…

~8~

The Doctor was sitting on the ledge of a bridge, LJ in Amy's arms as she threw pieces of the bread he'd torn up earlier over the sides, watching the ducks come to eat it.

"'We followed the blonde girl and the skinny guy for two more blocks before they turned," the Doctor read to them, "And I could ask exactly what they were doing here. Well, _I_ would have to ask, Ian wouldn't shut up if he got started. The blonde girl looked rather peeved while the skinny guy looked a little scared, so I gave him my best smile and my bluest eyes…'"

Amy glanced back, "Beware the yowzah," she muttered before pointing a tiny, mock-warning finger at LJ, "And don't you 'wow' either mister," but then she noticed the Doctor had stopped reading entirely and turned around, "Doctor? What did the skinny guy say? Or the blonde girl?"

The Doctor blinked, staring down at the book as though his world had fallen apart, "He said, 'We just went to get coffees for the Doctor and Amy and juice for LJ. Hello, River.'"

~8~

"Hello, dad," River greeted, looking up at him from under her fedora, dressed much like Harmony Brooks had been on the cover of the book.

There was a man standing beside her, his head bowed, a black fedora on his head as well to compliment his black suit, hands in his pant pockets, wearing a long coat of the period's fashion.

"Hello son," Evy greeted, recognizing and sensing her son.

The man grinned and lifted his head, revealing a man with the same blue eyes as LJ, "Hiya mum," he spoke, a false American accent on that had Evy rubbing her head at how similar he sounded to Jack.

"Where are we?" Rory shook his head, looking around before turning to the man who was apparently an older version of LJ, "How the hell did we get here?"

"I haven't the faintest idea," River said calmly, though Older LJ kept quiet, smirking secretively. She knew, he already knew, of course, whatever happened in the past of his parents, he knew from a baby's point of view, but he was very particular and careful about keeping those things to himself. Being there from two points in a timeline, he knew that one wrong word could completely change everything, and he had learned the dangers of that from his parents.

"Weeping Angels," Evy sighed, it was the only explanation for a random transport in time.

"Either way," River shrugged, "You'll probably want to put your hands up."

Because just then a group of men stepped out of the shadows, one pointing a gun at Rory and Evy, who put their hands up slowly, while another turned to River and Older LJ, both of whom didn't seem scared in the slightest, which couldn't be said for Rory.

"Harmony Brooks?" the man behind River called, "Ian Smith?"

Rory's eyes widened, "You're...Harmony?"

"Mhmm," River nodded, thinking at least it wasn't the most ridiculous name LJ had come up with for her. When she'd first met the boy in Luna University, he'd thought her name was a code name, that River Song was a cover for quite laughable names like Harmony Brooks or Jingle Mist before he'd pegged her with Melody Pond. She hadn't known it then that he really had known who she was, and laughed it off. But ever since then he always tried to get her to use those 'code names' again.

Evy just nodded, it made sense, Older LJ would know not to let River call him John Smith in the book, and his middle name _was_ Ianto, but for such a name in old New York…that would be too obvious again, so he'd clearly taken the first three letters of his middle name to throw them off.

Well done.

Her little boy was a genius!

"Get in," the man demanded, pulling her attention back to see a limo had pulled up.

~8~

The Doctor rushed into the TARDIS as Amy followed with LJ in her arms, the boy frantic about what happened to his mother.

"What're River and LJ doing in a book?" Amy asked, shutting the doors behind her and following him to the console, "What're Rory and Evy doing in a book?"

"They went to get coffee!" he snapped, his hearts racing. He didn't like the idea of Evy being _anywhere_ alone, because of a Weeping Angel, never mind the fact she was in fact there with Rory, and River, _and_ their son grown up, but HE wasn't there, and _that_ worried him, "Pay attention."

"They went to get coffee and turned up in a book. How does that work?"

"I'm not sure," he huffed, rushing to the monitor, "We're in New York!"

"Where did you get this book?"

"It was in my jacket!"

Amy shook her head, "How did it get there?"

"How does anything get there Amy!?" he turned to her, glaring, "I've given up asking. Now if you could ask _helpful_ questions that would be _fantastic_!"

_Daddy…_ LJ started to cry, getting more upset as his father shouted at Amy than anything. Because when his father got upset, it meant something _really_ bad had happened, _Has something bad happened to mummy? Where is she?_

The Doctor's expression softened completely, taking LJ from Amy, "Shh," he hushed, rocking the baby, trying to slow his hearts, trying to keep himself from lashing out at Amy much like he had when Evy had taken the Weeping Angel from her mind, this time it wasn't Amy's fault, "Shh, it'll be alright," he kissed LJ's head, "Mummy will be _fine_ , you know her eh?" he got LJ to look up at him, "You'll look out for her too, won't you boyo?"

~8~

Older LJ smiled as he looked over at his mother, sitting across from him and River, beside Rory, "Don't worry mum," he said, seeing she was actually a little tense about it all. He knew his parents, face anything together they could, but to separate them… _that's_ when they started to worry, not about themselves but about what the other would do in the process of trying to get back to them, "Everything'll be alright, I'll keep you safe," he grinned and lazily put an arm around River's shoulder, squeezing her, "I've kept her plenty safe, haven't I?"

Evy smiled, "That's my job," she told him, " _I'm_ supposed to look out for _you_. I'm your mum."

"Feeling's mutual though," he winked, making her laugh.

~8~

"Date," the Doctor realized, quickly handing LJ back to Amy and taking the book, "Date. Did she mention a date? When is this happening?" he quickly flipped through it, Amy looking over his shoulder beside him.

"Wait, there!" she pointed, "Oh, April 3rd, 1938."

~8~

"What's going on?" Rory asked, looking between the three.

River glanced at him, "You didn't come here in the TARDIS, obviously."

"How can you tell?" Evy asked.

"You couldn't have," River shrugged.

~8~

The Doctor looked over at Amy, who had moved to sit on the jump seat with LJ in her lap, the boy 'helping' her find information in the book, reading it aloud to the Doctor.

"Couldn't have?" he frowned, "What does she mean? Couldn't have?"

~8~

"This city's full of time distortions," River explained, "It'd be impossible to land the TARDIS here. Like trying to land a plane in a blizzard," she glanced at Evy, "I doubt even _you_ could do it, it's _that_ impossible."

~8~

The Doctor pouted, "Even _who_ couldn't do it?"

Evy was the Impossible Girl! Anything and everything impossible was just...her thing. She did it all the time!

"Don't you two fall out," Amy huffed, "She's only in a book."

~8~

Evy smirked, "Don't let the Doctor hear you say that, he'll just pout about it."

~8~

Amy laughed at that, looking up to see the Doctor was _still_ pouting without Evy there to kiss it away.

He pointed at Amy warningly and she held up a hand in surrender, so he spun around, back to the monitor, "1938. Easy one," he put some commands in and pulled a lever…only for the TARDIS to twist, lights to flash, the console to go up in sparks, jolting so terribly it nearly sent Amy flying off the jump seat with LJ.

'Temporal Distortions Detected,' blinked on the monitor before it blacked out.

"What was that?" Amy shouted, rushing over with LJ as the jolting calmed.

"1938. We just bounced off it."

~8~

"So how did you get here?" Rory asked River.

"Vortex Manipulator," River smirked at Older LJ, holding up her wrist as the man rolled his eyes, "Less bulky than a TARDIS. Then he," she nodded at Older LJ, "Commandeered a motorbike to get us through traffic."

"Much less jarring than travel by Weeping Angel," Evy muttered.

~8~

The Doctor rushed out of the TARDIS, putting some of the lingering fires out while Amy stood outside, bobbing LJ in her arms, the boy unnaturally silent, wanting his mummy back, but trying not to show how scared he was for his mother, a combination of wanting to be brave like his daddy and not wanting his daddy to see how scared he was because that would upset the man even more.

"The Weeping Angels?" Amy shook her head.

"It makes sense," the Doctor replied, trusting Evy's assessment.

"It makes what?"

"That's what happened to Rory and Evy. That's what the Angels do. It's their preferred form of attack. They zap you back in time, let you live to death."

"Well, we've got a time machine. We can just go and get them."

"Well, tried that, if you've noticed, and we are back where we started in 2012."

Amy looked around at the graveyard they'd found themselves in overlooking the New York skyline, "We didn't start in a graveyard. What are we doing here?"

"Don't know," he replied as Amy went back to the book, flipping through it, "Probably causally linked somehow. Doesn't matter. Extractor fans on!"

"Well, we're going to get there somehow," she remarked, "We're in the rest of the book."

"Doing what?" he asked absently.

"Page 43, you're going to break something."

"I'm what?" he blinked, frowning. Did he break something in the TARDIS?

Amy opened the book, reading, "'Why do you have to break mine,' I asked the Doctor. He frowned and said, 'Because Amy read it in a book and now I have no choice.'"

The Doctor's eyes widened as he looked over to see her reading ahead, "Stop!" he ran over to her, "No! No! Stop! You can't read ahead," he snatched the book from her, "You mustn't. And you can't do that."

"But we've already been reading it," she countered.

_Not all of it,_ LJ tried to tell her, forgetting she couldn't understand him.

"Just the stuff that's happening now," the Doctor agreed, "In parallel with us. That's as far as we go."

"But it could help us find Rory," she shook her head, "Find Evy…"

He swallowed hard, "And if you read ahead and find that Rory dies? That…" he spoke quietly so LJ wouldn't hear, "That Evy got hurt…" he shook his head, not even wanting to think of it, refusing to even utter the words 'Evy dies' with his son right there, "This isn't any old future, Amy, it's _ours_. Once we know what's coming, it's fixed. I'm going to break something, because you told me that I'm going to do it. No choice now."

"Time can be rewritten."

_Not always,_ LJ tried again, feeling like he had to help her understand since his father wasn't doing a very good job and his mother wasn't there to explain it.

"Not once you've read it," the Doctor nodded, "Once we know what's coming, it's written in stone."

~8~

The quartet were led into a very lavish home, decorated with artifacts from every Earth time period and country. River and Older LJ were in the lead, Rory and Evy following behind, "Ah," River remarked, spotting a Chinese vase, "Early Qin dynasty, I'd say."

Older LJ smirked, "Think the emperor still has it out for you?" he nudged her.

"Correct," an older man said, stepping into the room, he was slightly plump, graying hair, "Are you an archaeologist as well as a detective?"

River smirked, "Among other things."

~8~

"Ok," the Doctor nodded, rushing around the console, "Landing a plane in a timey wimey blizzard. I _could_ push through, but if I'm out by a _nanosecond_ , the engines will phase and I'll shatter the planet. I need landing lights…"

"Landing lights?" Amy frowned.

"Yes, I need a signal to lock on to."

"Why not just have the TARDIS focus on Evy?" she suggested, "Isn't there some sort of psychic thing? A tracker?"

"Yes, but we can't access that, not with all the time distortions, it's like static. Can't get a proper lock on her…" he shook his head, not about to lose hope, "What did she say? Early what dynasty?"

~8~

"Early Qin, exactly," Evy commented, eyeing the vase.

"You're very well informed," the man, Mr. Grayle, replied eyeing the group.

"And you're very afraid," River remarked.

"That is an awful lot of locks on just one door," Older LJ added, glancing at the front door where there were a number of locks lining it, "Trying to keep us in, or them out?"

"Evy," Rory nodded her over, showing her the vase before him, "I'm translating."

She smiled, seeing the Chinese saying shift into English, "It's a lingering ability of the TARDIS," she told him quietly, not wanting to give Grayle any information about the box.

"This one," Grayle called, pointing at Rory, the only one who hadn't contributed anything, "Put him somewhere uncomfortable."

"With the babies, sir?" one of the men who had taken them asked.

Grayle smiled, "Yes, why not? Give him to the babies."

Evy stepped forward to try and stop one of the other men from grabbing Rory but she was held back. She frowned, about to use her powers to get the man off her, when Rory looked over, as though sensing what she was thinking, and shook his head, trying to assure her that he'd be fine...wherever he was being taken.

She swallowed hard but nodded as he was taken away.

Older LJ watching him go, solemn.

~8~

The Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS, in China, circa 221 BC, right into a decorating workshop, where men and women were working on painting vases, "Ah, hello, yes," he flashed his psychic paper, "Special commission from the Emperor…"

~8~

Older LJ stood behind River, helping her take her mackintosh off, as Evy looked around at the room, smirking when one of the vases shifted to 'yowzah.'

"Hello dear," she smirked, glancing back at River to see the woman nod, her and Older LJ having seen it as well.

"Hello, sweetie," River added, "Let's see, crime boss with a collecting fetish. Whatever you don't let anyone else see has got to be your favorite…" she wandered around the room to a curtain that was closed.

"Or possibly his girlfriend," Older LJ quipped.

River pulled the curtain cord, dropping them to reveal a snarling Angel, worse for the wear, with manacles and chains holding it back. Evy let out a little whistle at that.

"So, girlfriend, then," both she and River said at once, laughing a little with each other.

River grinned and tossed Older LJ her Vortex Manipulator. He rolled his eyes at her but started typing things in, she knew he preferred other means of time travel than the little rinky space hopper, so she always tried to use it as often as possible and force him to use it as well. Her revenge for him constantly calling her 'Riv.'

"What are you doing?" Grayle eyed him.

"Oh, you know," he shrugged, "Just texting…"

~8~

The Doctor grinned as 'yowzah' came up on the scanner, "Landing lights. We have a signal. Locking on!"

He pulled a lever as LJ cheered, eager to get back to his mummy.

~8~

"These things are all over," Grayle said, watching as Evy, Older LJ, and River stood by the Angel, eyeing it, "But people don't seem to notice. It never moves while you're looking."

"Oh, we know how they work," River muttered.

"So I understand," Grayle eyed her closely, well, her and Mr. Smith, both of whom, he'd been told by various sources, would be the best to talk to about this…the other woman, well, he didn't know who she was but she was sharp, "Harmony Brooks and Ian Smith, the detectives who investigate Angels."

"She's rather badly damaged, isn't she?" Older LJ remarked, glancing back at Grayle, crossing his arms and smirking, "What have you been up too? Getting a little too rough with her?"

"LJ!" Evy shouted, whacking him on the arm.

"Ow!" he pouted, absently rubbing his arm, "You _hit_ me!"

"I hit your father all the time," she reminded him, "No one's safe from the smack," before adding, "Except baby you."

He rolled his eyes, "Oh gee thanks. That makes ME feel _so_ loved right now."

She smiled, "It should. The smacking means I care."

He scoffed, "So that's why dad gets so many of them?"

"I wanted to know if it could feel pain," Grayle cut in.

"You realize it's screaming?" River leaned closer to eye the Angel, "The others can hear."

"Which explains the locks," Evy added.

Grayle just smirked and flipped off the lights for a moment, Evy quickly sonicing them back on with a glare at the man, only to see that the Angel had grabbed River's wrist.

"You're going to tell me all about these creatures," Grayle threatened, "And you're going to do it quickly," he moved to turn the lights off again, but it didn't work.

Evy smirked and wiggled her sonic, putting it in her holster, she'd isolated the power so he couldn't turn the lights off, "Predators," she stated, "Deadly. Fast. That's an Angel, and you're trying to collect one?" she shook her head, disgusted.

"I'm only human," he shrugged.

"That's exactly what they're thinking," River assured him as Older LJ moved to her side, examining the grip the Angel had on her…when the lights began to flicker, not quite going out but dimming and brightening.

"What's that?" Grayle gasped as the room started to shake, "What's happening? Is it an earthquake?" and a wheezing started, a wind blowing papers around, "What is it?"

"Idiot," Evy laughed, shaking her head fondly as she realized what was happening.

"You could burn New York!" River called out.

"What does that mean?" Grayle glared.

This time it was Older LJ who spoke, grinning darkly at the man, "It means, Grayle, wait till my father gets in..."

There was a thud from the main room where the TARDIS landed, shaking the room so badly that Grayle fell, knocking himself out as the china broke all around them.

~8~

"Come on!" Amy shouted, running for the doors.

"Just a moment," the Doctor called, taking LJ from her, "Final checks."

"Since when?" Amy scoffed.

But the Doctor just checked himself in a brass plate of the TARDIS, before reaching out to lick his thumb and wipe a smudge off LJ's cheek as the boy fussed.

_Go find mummy!_ LJ grumbled, making his father laugh.

"Let's go then," he rushed over to Amy, the ginger rolling her eyes before rushing out, the boys behind her.

"Rory?" Amy ran up the first set of stairs she saw, looking around for her husband, "Rory? Rory!"

_Mummy!_ LJ squealed, seeing Evy standing through the doorway.

Evy smiled as her gaze locked onto him, "Oh, there's my little boy," she reached out as the Doctor came closer, taking LJ from him.

"Oi!" Older LJ shouted behind her, dropping his American accent so as not to confuse baby-him, "I'm right here!"

She laughed, glancing over her shoulder, "You're my big boy."

Older LJ beamed at that.

"Sorry I'm late, honey," the Doctor smiled, giving her a kiss, "Traffic was hell," he pulled her to him as tightly as he could with LJ between them, hugging her, just holding her a moment, before pulling away and looking around the room, "What happened to him?" he nodded at the man on the floor.

"Shock," she shrugged, "He'll wake up eventually. And I can't really bring myself to care."

He frowned, "Why not?"

She just turned, giving him and LJ full view of River, in the grip of the Angel.

"Wiv!" LJ waved his little arms, making River smile, "Wiv! Wiv! Wiv!" he started reaching out to her so Evy walked over with him, the Doctor behind her.

"Hello LJ," River greeted, reaching out her free hand to tickle the baby's stomach.

"Oh so it's ok when HE calls you Riv," Older LJ grumbled, crossing his arms mock-playfully, "You know, I'm starting to get the distinct impression that you all love the baby more than me."

The Doctor just laughed, "Hello boyo," he greeted, pulling the older version of his son into a hug.

Older LJ laughed, hugging him back, "Hello dad."

"So where are we now, Dr. Song?" the Doctor looked at River as he pulled out of the hug, "How's prison?"

"She's a professor now," Evy cut in, they'd talked a little about it in the limo on the way over, "And apparently, she was pardoned," she smirked.

"Pardoned?" he raised an eyebrow.

River smiled, "Turns out the person I killed never existed in the first place. Apparently, there's no record of him. It's almost as if someone's gone around deleting himself from every database in the Universe."

"Took us 97 years," Evy sighed, clutching the baby closer.

She _still_ hated thinking about that. She couldn't bear to be parted from her baby even an hour…she still had no idea how the Doctor had managed 200 years without both of them. But, if the 97 years taught her anything, it was when you really loved someone, you'd do anything to protect them.

"You said I got too big," the Doctor reminded her, it was the reason they'd erased him, and Evy, from databases all over the Universe, they didn't want anyone coming after them, they couldn't do that to LJ. Probably the only record of them that still existed was with UNIT and Torchwood given that some of their operatives had had personal experience with them, that wouldn't be easy to erase, so they'd left it alone.

"And now no one's ever heard of you," River added, "Didn't you used to be somebody?"

"Weren't you the woman who killed the Doctor?"

Older LJ laughed, "Doctor who?" he glanced at them before turning back to River, "Her grip's rather tight, isn't it?"

"At least she didn't send me back in time," River shrugged.

The Doctor moved to sonic the statue...only to see Older LJ had whipped out one of his own and flash the statue.

The older boy looked at the readings, "Nah, she's not strong enough to do that…" and then noticed the Doctor and Evy staring at him, "What…what are you staring at me like that for?"

Evy sighed and held up a hand to keep the Doctor from talking, "The only thing I need to know…is that he did NOT give you _that_ before you were _at least_ five years old."

Older LJ looked down at the sonic in his hand, "Would dad get smacked if he did?"

"Yes," she nodded, without hesitation, "Yes he would. He'd get a hell of a smack."

Older LJ looked at the Doctor, who was frantically shaking his head behind Evy's back, "Then no, he did _not_ give me a sonic before I was five," Evy's eyes narrowed, "He didn't!"

She just shook her head.

"Yes well, if we could focus just a little," River cut in, "I need a hand back, so which is it going to be?" she looked at the three of them, "Are you going to break my wrist or hers?" the Doctor just gave her a frown, "Oh, no. Really? Why do you have to break _mine_?"

"Because Amy read it in a book," the Doctor said softly as Amy stepped into the room behind them, "And now I have no choice."

"Oh Amy," Evy looked at Amy who was very solemn.

"You see?" the Doctor looked back at her, Amy just nodding.

"What book?" River frowned.

"Your book," Evy eyed both her and Older LJ as she shifted the younger version in her arms, "You just haven't written it yet."

"So we can't read it," the Doctor sighed, pulling the book out to show them.

"I see," River nodded.

Older LJ grimaced, "I don't like that cover."

River rolled her eyes at that.

"But if River's going to write that book, she'd make it useful, yeah?" Amy asked, wanting to help.

"She definitely would," Older LJ nodded, "But I'd do a final proofread, make sure she doesn't let too much out…"

"Well that's a relief," Evy muttered as Older LJ looked at her curiously, "At least one John Smith is careful about timelines," she nudged the Doctor.

"Well I have to be don't I?" Older LJ grinned, "Especially with mini-me there," he nodded at his baby self, "What I know from him about what I do now…makes it complicated, doesn't it? Have to be even more careful than you and dad combined."

"Either way, whatever I write," River cut in, "We can't read ahead, it's too dangerous."

"I know," Amy nodded, "But there must be _something_ we can look at."

"What," the Doctor scoffed, "A page of handy hints, previews, spoiler free?"

"Weed!" LJ shouted from Evy's arms.

Amy looked at the boy, her eyes widening, "Chapter titles!"

The Doctor looked at Evy a moment, grinning, before quickly scanning the chapter titles, 'Calling the Doctor,' 'The Roman in the Cellar,' 'Death at Winter Quay…'

"He's in the cellar!" he shouted.

"Gimme!" Amy called and Evy tossed her her sonic, the ginger rushing off with Evy and baby LJ behind her.

The Doctor moved to follow, when he caught sight of the _last_ chapter title and froze.

'Amelia's Last Farewell.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all liked Older LJ in this chapter :) There's MUCH more of him in the next one. I hope you also liked the little background of where Older LJ's nickname for River came from :) We'll also get River's nickname for Older LJ in the next chapter too :)
> 
> Next chapter...it seems Older LJ is as much a liar as his father, we learn how Older LJ gets River everywhere, and Brian gets a visitor.


	11. The Angels Take Manhattan (Part 2)

"Doctor?" River frowned, seeing Evy freezing down the hall, the Time Lady having seen what the Doctor had in his mind, "Doctor, what is it? What's wrong? Tell me," but he was silent, "Evy?" she tried, "Evy, what is it? Please tell me."

She knew better than to ask Older LJ, he'd _never_ say. He was frustrating like that, always so tightlipped about the future.

"Ok," she frowned, seeing the Doctor's expression darkening, Evy shaking her head and rushing off, "I know that face. Calm down. Calm down! Talk to me. Doctor!"

"No!" he snapped, before glancing at his son, "Get her wrist out, _without_ breaking it!"

"And how am I supposed to do that?" Older LJ shook his head, not putting bite behind his words, knowing how his father could get, how upset he'd have to be to start barking orders, "It's impossible."

"You're Evy's son too," he countered, "Figure it out. Change the future!" before heading after his Link and infant son.

~8~

"Rory?" Amy shouted as she tried to run down into the basement.

"Amy don't!" Evy called, reaching out a hand to pull her back, "Stop! They're Angels," she pointed to the cherub statues at the bottom, their heads turned to stare up at them, "The babies, Grayle gave Rory to them…those are the Angels that sent us back in the first place."

_Don't blink!_ LJ added, staring as hard at the statues as he could.

"Did they get Rory?" Amy panted as they moved back up, not taking their eyes off the statues, "Where is he? Did they take him?"

"I think they might have," Evy whispered, the two of them making it out of the basement, only for the Doctor to appear, shutting the door and sonicing it locked.

"So is this what's going to happen?" Amy looked at them, tears in her eyes, "We just keep chasing him and they keep pulling him further back?"

"He isn't back in time," River remarked as she and Older LJ stepped into the room, River holding a scanner, "I'm reading a displacement, but there are no temporal markers."

Amy looked confused so LJ tried to elaborate, _They moved him in..._

Only for his older self to cut in, "They moved him in space, but not in time, so he's somewhere around here, right now..." he hissed though his teeth a moment, eyeing the readings, "It's not that far from here actually."

LJ pouted and crossed his arms at being interrupted, Older LJ just winking at his younger self as though to say 'that's what you get when you can't talk.' His parents glanced at each other, sharing a small look, they supposed this _would_ be the quietest they'd ever hear their boy being, that time before he could really talk out loud.

"You got out," the Doctor grinned, seeing River free.

"So, where is he?" Amy spoke before River could answer.

"Well, come on, come on, come on, where is he?"

"If it was that easy, I'd get you to do it," River remarked, making Evy laugh at the pout on the Doctor's face before she gave him a peck.

"But…" even Evy had to comment, "How _did_ you get out without breaking your wrist?"

"Dad asked," Older LJ remarked, shrugging, though looking down and shifting from foot to foot, "So we did. Problem?"

"You just changed the future," the Doctor beamed sounding remarkably proud of that, he might have even had a little tear in his eye.

Look at that, his little boy, all grown up and changing the future...

And then Evy whacked him on the back of the head, that wasn't always a good thing as they'd learned in Lake Silencio.

Older LJ laughed, "I get it from you dad," he remarked, "Changing the future. Doing the impossible, that's mum. And besides," he shrugged, "I'm 237 years old, I know what I'm doing," River scoffed, making him roll his eyes, "I'm always calling you two up to see if something's alright to change. Half the time you tell me to do it dad..."

The Doctor started to smile...

"And then mum smacks you and tells me not to."

And he pouted.

Evy rolled her eyes and gave him another kiss.

"Hush," River called, tense, "I'm working."

"She's good, have you noticed?" the Doctor asked, "Really, really good."

Older LJ grinned, "That's my Riv."

_Oi!_ LJ grumbled, _MY Riv too!_

Older LJ shook his head at him, leaning in to look the boy in the eyes, "Maybe when you're older."

"Ah," River cheered, "Wherever it is, it's within a few blocks. There's a car out front. Shall we steal it?"

"Always," Older LJ nodded, whipping out his sonic and tossing it in his hand, grinning like a...well, either madman or an idiot, Evy wasn't sure which, though both proved he was the Doctor's son.

"Show us!" the Doctor dashed off, moving to grab River's right hand, when she gasped in pain, making the Doctor pause and look down at it…

_What's wrong with River?_ LJ looked up at his parents, but they couldn't answer...

River's wrist was still broken.

~8~

The Doctor was pacing through the foyer of Grayle's home, River sitting stiffly on the steps, Older LJ leaning on the end of the banister beside her, sonicing the scanner to look for Rory faster while Evy sat with LJ on the bottom step, Amy leaning against a wall, waiting.

"Gotcha," Older LJ called, flipping his sonic in his hand and putting it away in his coat, tossing Amy the scanner, "When all those numbers hit zero, that's when it's locked on, right? Keep an eye on it, it's how we'll find him."

"Got it," Amy looked down at the scanner intently, watching the numbers closely.

"Why did you lie to us?" the Doctor looked at Older LJ as he moved to sit beside River. He walked over to stand beside Evy, the woman reaching up to take his hand, sensing it hurt to know their son had lied.

"When one cares for ageless gods who insist on the faces of a twelve-year-olds," River answered instead, glancing between them and Older LJ, "One does one's best to hide the damage."

"I'm sorry," Evy said quietly as Older LJ reached out to look at River's wrist, "That has to hurt."

"Yes. The wrist is pretty bad too…" but then her attention was pulled away by a warmth in her hand, she looked down to see her wound glowing golden-orange, Older LJ siphoning his regenerative energy into it, healing it as he could since she was part-Time Lady, "No," she tried tugging her hand away, "No. No, stop that. Stop that," and then she did something that surprised the Time Lords, only a bit though, she slipped into Gallifreyan, " _Stop it_!"

She must have REALLY wanted him to stop what he was doing to use their language against him.

Older LJ just ignored her a moment longer, smirking as his younger self cheered him on, healing River completely, "There we are," he set her hand down with a pat, "Better?"

River just glared, "Well, let's see, shall we?" before she slapped him in the back of the head, _hard_ , "That was a stupid waste of regeneration energy. Nothing is gained by you being a sentimental idiot!"

"Riv…" he began, rubbing the back of his head.

"No, you embarrass me!"

"Riv!"

She just shook her head and moved to leave.

"River!" he shouted, rushing after her, following her outside, leaving the trio back inside with Amy, "Riv," he grabbed her hand, tugging her to face him, "Why shouldn't I heal you?" he asked, "You're my best friend! You're my Timegirl!" River just huffed, "And it's not like I lost a life doing that. You know this is my first incarnation, I've got plenty of regeneration energy left, I only skimmed off the top!"

"But that's just it," she snapped, "You keep skimming off the top and one day that'll catch up to you! What if you lose one of your lives because you insist on healing me? I'd rather you just let me deal with my pain myself."

"Yeah, I know," he rolled his eyes, "Because I know you River. I knew you before I was even born. I knew you through my parents. I know what sort of woman you were, _are_ , exciting, adventurous, brilliant…that's why I spent four plus years in a human education system, just so I could get to _meet_ you! You _really_ think I'd just let you suffer?"

She was quiet a moment, seeing an opening to _finally_ ask him something that had bothered her ever since she'd learned who her LJ really was, "If you knew me through your parents, then you know what I did to the Doctor, to Evy, in Berlin."

"I didn't need to know from them…I was there, remember? Just because I hadn't been born yet didn't mean I wasn't aware."

She shook her head, tears in her eyes, "Then how can you be friends with me after that? After what I _did_ to you?"

"Yeah, you did something bad, but then you saved us," he countered, "Cancels out the bad doesn't it?" she just frowned, "Come on Riv, we all make mistakes. And fine, you think me healing you is a mistake, but I'll make it again and again, because I don't want to see you hurt."

She shook her head, she should have known. He was _just_ like his father in that regard, if he saw someone hurt he just _had_ to help. It was why she'd always tried never to let him, or the Doctor and Evy, see the damage, to never let them see her age, because, for him and the Doctor especially, to them it meant the end coming.

They both hated endings.

"Just like you don't want to see me hurt," he nudged her a bit, pulling her from her thoughts.

She sighed, she had to agree to that. She didn't like it anymore than he did.

He smiled, "Are we ok now?" she nodded, offering him a smile in return, "Good," he beamed…

Though...if he was being completely honest...there _was_ a little more too it. He knew, from his baby self, what River's future would hold, what was waiting for her in the Library. He knew she would one day die saving his parents and for that, he'd forgive her anything.

"Got it!" the Doctor shouted as he ran out the door with Evy, LJ, and Amy, Amy holding the scanner, "He's at a place called Winter Quay. The car, yes? Let's go."

Older LJ ran over to the driver's side of the car, sonicing it unlocked and the engine on as River got in beside him, the others piling in back as they drove off, none of them noticing a mother and son statue across the street disappear as the door to Grayle's home was left open.

~8~

"Why would they send him here?" River asked, taking the scanner from Amy to direct Older LJ, "Why not zap him back in time, like they normally do?"

"We'll know that when we know what this place is," the Doctor remarked.

"Winter Quay," Amy nodded.

"LJ," Evy began, when the baby looked up at her too.

_Yes mummy?_ LJ asked.

She winced a bit, "Sorry, um, Older LJ?"

Ooh, that sounded rubbish didn't it?

"You could call him J," River suggested, "To differentiate him and baby-him, that's what I call him."

Evy nodded, that was reasonable, yes, she liked that more, "J…"

"Yeah mum?" Older LJ...well...J called back.

"Just curious…we've been running into you a lot lately…" she began, thinking of the whole mess with Lake Silencio, seeing him again when they'd tried to pick up River on her first night of Stormcage, and now this, "Why is that? I mean, we've had adventures with River before, and you two are clearly very close…why didn't we see you earlier?"

J grinned, the group able to see him in the rearview mirror, "Because you didn't know who River was then, and because you were having a baby, couldn't really have another Time Lord pop up. You two are both ultra-sensitive to Perception Filters now so I couldn't wear that. I just had to wait till after you had me, or very nearly, didn't want to break tradition of what I was being a surprise. But I was always there you know, in the background."

The Doctor had to laugh at that, J definitely seemed to inherit Evy's not breathing thing...or his rambling ability...either way he was most certainly their son.

"You were?" Amy asked, trying to think if she might have seen the man lurking about during earlier adventures with her daughter.

He nodded, "Oh yeah. Who do you think organized her pardon from Stormcage so you could handle the Angel in the _Byzantium_? Or how River got a call from Winston Churchill directing her to Van Gogh's painting? Who do you think picked her up from Stormcage to get her to America and all the other places she went when she 'escaped?' I was even the one to give her the tour of Luna University. I was always there, in the background, keeping this one," he nodded at River, "Out of trouble."

Evy smiled, "That sounds remarkably familiar," she glanced at the Doctor who just smiled in return.

~8~

As soon as they arrived at Winter Quay, Amy was out the door and running into the building, the gang behind her. She spared a single glance to the first floor of the apartment complex before heading for the lift, "Rory?" she called as they passed a few floors.

"He's close," River looked at the scanner, when the lift stopped on the 8th floor.

"Rory!" she dashed out, running to an open door to apartment 802, spotting someone standing inside it, "Rory!"

"Amy!" he ran back to her, hugging her tightly.

"Doctor, Evy," River paused at the door, her eye trained on an Angel at the end of the hall, smirking at them, "Look at this. Why is it smiling?"

"I'm more worried about this actually," J tapped the nameplate of the door, 'R. Williams.'

"Oh that's _never_ good…" Evy frowned.

_How does Uncle Rory have a room here?_ LJ frowned, squinting at the writing.

"Amy," the Doctor quickly made his way into the room, "Rory! Get out of here! Don't look at anything. Don't touch…"

"Who's that?" Amy called. The group slowly moved further into the room, J shutting the door behind them, sonicing it locked for more protection, he wouldn't put it past the Angel to try to get in. The small group slowed near the back room, spotting an old man lying in bed, pointing at them.

"Amy," the man wheezed, "Amy, please. Amy, please. _Please_ …"

_Who's that?_ LJ squirmed in Evy's arms, trying to get a better look, but for once Evy held him back, her hearts breaking as she and the others realized who the man was.

Amy frowned and moved closer till she saw exactly who this old man was, who he looked like, "Rory?" she took his hand, looking at his younger version, "He's you."

"Amy," the Old Rory smiled, before his eyes closed.

J closed his eyes a moment, though no one saw as he stood behind them, a terrible pain etched on his face as he sagged, seeming as though a weight had settled on him.

"Will someone please tell me what is going on?" Rory asked.

"I'm sorry, Rory, but...you just died," the Doctor breathed.

_What?!_ LJ looked at his parents alarmed, _But he couldn't...he's right there!_ he began to reach for Rory as though wanting to touch the man and prove he was real.

"It seems like this place is being policed by Angels," Evy frowned, "If you try to escape, you just get zapped back in time."

"So this place belongs to the Angels?" Amy moved back over to Rory, "They built it?"

"Displacing someone back in time creates time energy, and that is what the Angels feed on," the Doctor explained, "But normally, it's a one off, a hit and run. If they could keep hold of their victims, feed off their time energy over and over again. This place is a farm. A battery farm. How many Angels in New York?"

"It's like they've taken over every statue in the city," River stated.

"The Angels take Manhattan because they can, because they've never had a food source like this one. The city that never sleeps."

Suddenly loud, heavy footsteps sounded from outside the window.

"What was that?" Rory asked.

Evy moved over to the window, looking out but unable to see anything, "Not sure…but Rory, whatever it is…safe betting is that it's here for you."

"What does _that_ mean? What is going to happen to me? What is physically going to happen?"

"The Angels are gonna find you," J spoke up, sounding...so sad and...tired...like he was...resigned, "Then zap you back in time, right back here, to this room, thirty, maybe forty years ago, over and over again until you live out the rest of your life in this room, till you die in that bed."

River closed her eyes, knowing _exactly_ how J knew that and knowing she couldn't blame him for not speaking earlier, for giving some sort of warning. He'd lived through it as a baby, whatever he was saying, he'd only say as the event was happening, as an offered explanation but never a warning, he was _that_ careful about timelines.

"And will Amy be there?" Rory continued.

"No."

"How do you know?" Amy frowned.

J glanced at Evy, silently pleading with her not to make HIM say it.

"Because that man," Evy nodded at the old man, taking pity on her son to have to experience this twice, "He was far too happy to just SEE you Amy."

"Why didn't they take you?" Amy looked at Evy, "The Angels sent you back too…"

"But the babies didn't get me," she countered, "The babies were the ones who sent Rory here. And…I can't exactly live out my life here, I'd never age. It would be hard for them to collect the energy of the life I would have lived if my life never comes to an end."

"Ok," Rory swallowed hard, "Well, they haven't taken me yet. What if I just run? What if I just get the hell out of here? Then that never happens."

"Wun!" LJ agreed.

"It's already happened," the Doctor shook his head, "Rory, you've just witnessed your own future."

"Dad," J cut in, smiling just a little, "He's right."

"No, he isn't."

"If Rory got out, it would create a paradox!" River argued.

The footsteps continued, making Amy frown, "What _is_ that?"

"This farm thing is the Angels' food source," J added, "Probably their _only_ food source if they've put so much time into it. If the paradox poisons the water and the soil, if the crop goes bad, which it would, it'll kill them all. This whole thing would unhappen…literally."

"It would be almost impossible," the Doctor replied.

River smirked, "Loving the _almost_."

"And you've got two impossible people here," J smirked, smug, which made River roll her eyes, "Well," he nodded at his baby self in Evy's arms, "Three."

The Doctor had to smile at that, before shaking his head, needing to make _sure_ this could work, he wasn't about to risk the safety of his Link and child, not even for Amy and Rory, "But to create a paradox like that takes almost unimaginable power. What have we got, eh? Tell me. Come on, what?"

"I won't let them take him," Amy stepped up, taking Rory's hand, " _That's_ what we've got."

Rory glanced nervously out the window as the thumps got louder, "Whatever that thing is, it's getting closer…"

"Rory," Evy stepped up, needing him to understand what had to be done, "If you get out, you have to _keep_ running. Probably for the rest of your life. The Angels will _never_ stop chasing you."

"Well, then," Amy took a breath, "Better get started," before pulling Rory to the door of the flat and throwing it open, only to see an Angel outside it, "Husband, run!" she pulled him past the Angels as the lights flickered, the ones in the doorway now entering the room, knowing their kin would head Amy and Rory off in the stairwell.

"River, L… _J_ ," the Doctor corrected, "I'm not sure this can work."

"It's a stretch," Evy agreed, though believing it more than the Doctor, "An impossible stretch, but…" she took the Doctor's hand, "We can do it, together."

"Wun!" LJ agreed, as determined as a baby could be as he helped his parents, River, and his older self stare down the Angels.

The lights flickered again and the Angels made it into the room completely. The Doctor pulled out his sonic, flashing the lights to keep it on as he handed Evy the papoose from his pocket, River quickly helping her put it on and fix LJ into it as J kept an eye on the Angels with his father till they had finished.

"We can't keep doing this," the Doctor remarked as the Angels surrounded them.

"Any ideas?" River glanced over as she tightened the last strap.

"Yeah, the usual."

"Wun!" LJ shouted once more, and they made a break for the door, dashing out into the hallway and towards the stairs, only to see Angels scattered along them.

"Fire escape," J pointed, leading them off, helping Evy and his younger self through the window, followed by River, then him and the Doctor, who shut the window and soniced it locked.

They rushed up the fire escape, heading for the roof, not seeing Rory or Amy on the ground, but hearing them above.

"No, I can't take you too…" they could hear Rory say, worrying them, pushing them on.

"You said we'd come back to life," Amy countered, "Money where your mouth is time."

"Amy, look…"

"Shut up. Together, or not at all."

They finally reached the top, just in time to see Amy and Rory standing on the ledge of the building, "What the hell are you doing!?" the Doctor demanded, rushing over.

"Changing the future," Amy smiled, "It's called marriage," before letting her and Rory fall off the side of the building.

"Amy!" Evy screamed along with the Doctor as they ran to the edge, looking over at them falling, LJ crying at what was happening, "Amy! Rory!"

"Dad!" J shouted behind them, "Mum!"

They looked back to see balls of energy gathering, flickering around the roof.

"What's happening?" River called.

"The paradox," Evy smiled.

The Doctor laughed, "It's working!" he grabbed Evy's hand, and River's, Evy taking J's as well, "The paradox is working!"

And a bright white light lit up the sky…

~8~

Amy and Rory gasped as they shot up into a sit, back in 2012, in the graveyard the TARDIS had bounced to before, "Where are we?" Rory looked around.

"Back where we started," the Doctor called as he and Evy rushed over with LJ, "You collapsed the timeline. The paradox worked. We all pinged back where we belong."

"What, in a graveyard?"

"This happened the last time," Amy explained, "Why always here?"

"Does it matter?" the Doctor chuckled, "We got lucky. We could've blown New York off the planet."

Evy sighed, "We won't ever be able to take the TARDIS to back there, the timeless are too scrambled now."

"We could have lost you both," the Doctor breathed, pulling the Ponds into a hug with Evy, mindful of LJ who was grumbling about being squished but claiming it was a good squish as he tugged on the fronts of their shirts and calling out in Baby that he loved his Ponds, "Don't ever do that again."

"What did we do?" Rory frowned, "We fixed it. We solved the problem."

"I was talking to myself," the Doctor told them, pulling away, before taking Evy's hand and tugging her back to the TARDIS, the box sitting there with quite a bit of fire extinguisher damage to her outside.

River stepped back from behind it with a bucket in her hand, J with a handful of rags, ready to help the Time Lords clean the TARDIS off.

"It could do with a repaint," River remarked as the Doctor took a rag, him and J getting to work cleaning it with her, while Evy went inside to put LJ in his bouncy chair.

"We've been busy," the Doctor countered.

"Does the bulb on top need changing?"

"I just changed it."

"Rory and Amy…" J began.

"Yes. I know, I know."

"They'll be bored out of their minds stuck here all day."

"Doctor…" Rory spoke, walking over with Amy, "Look, next time, could we could just go to the pub?"

"I want go to the pub right now," the Doctor spun around, "Are there video games there? I love video games. I can show LJ some video games, he'll love them…" he looked at J, "Don't you love them?"

"Oh yeah," J grinned.

"Right," River laughed, "Family outing, then."

The Doctor opened the doors to the TARDIS, letting River in, following her.

J paused in the doorway, looking back at Amy and Rory, a sad look on his face, before he took a breath, steeling himself...and headed in as well.

"Amy, come and see this," Rory called, a gravestone having caught his eye.

"What?" Amy turned, already halfway to the TARDIS.

"There's a gravestone here for someone with the same name as me."

Amy tensed, "What?"

And then Rory disappeared right before her eyes, an Angel behind him.

"Doctor!" she cried, "Evy!"

The Doctor, River, and Evy, who was holding a squirming LJ, who had been far too excited to sit in his bouncy chair, in her arms, bolt out. J followed behind them at a much more solemn pace.

"Where the hell did _that_ come from?" River gasped, looking at J for an answer.

"It's a survivor," J said quietly, his voice thick with emotion, this was hard enough to live through as a baby, and now to do it again...he hated it, but the laws of time...he was powerless to stop it, "It's weak, but still…best keep your eyes on it."

"Where's Rory?" Amy demanded of the boy, not looking away from the statue with its arm held out, finger pointed where it had touched Rory.

"I'm sorry Aunt Amy," J sighed, "But that gravestone, the one with his name on it…he died, age 82."

"Why didn't you _say_ anything?!"

"I'm sorry, I'm _so_ sorry," he shook his head, tears in his eyes, "But, in my timeline, it's an established event, I've already experienced it," he glanced at his baby self, "I can't change it."

It was even worse than reading the future, to have lived through it, seen it happen. This wasn't like when Amy had gotten trapped in Two Streams, this was far, far worse.

"No," she begged, "No, we...we can just go and get him in the TARDIS. One more paradox..."

"It would rip New York apart," J finished quietly.

"No, that's _not_ true," Amy started to cry, tears in her eyes, "I don't believe you."

"Mother," River spoke softly, her voice cracking, "It's _true_."

"Amy, what are you doing?" the Doctor called as Amy started to make her way towards the Angel.

"That gravestone," Amy breathed, "Rory's...there's room for one more name, isn't there?"

"What are you talking about? Back away from the Angel."

"Amy _please_ ," Evy pleaded, bobbing LJ as he started to cry, working out what was happening, what was going to happen if Amy continued, "Just come back to the TARDIS and we'll figure out what to do…"

"The Angel," Amy shook her head, "Would it send me back to the same time? To him?"

"We don't know."

"Nobody knows!" the Doctor added.

"I know," J spoke up.

"Don't say it!" the Doctor snapped, pointing warningly at his son.

J just looked at him, so sad, but understanding. This was a painful moment, and his parents were slowly realizing that, him being there, him knowing if the Angel would send Amy back to the right spot...meant she had already done it in his past...their hope at stopping her was fading fast.

"Will it?" Amy tried to speak, but her tears choked her.

"Yes," J nodded, though she couldn't see.

"No!" the Doctor cried.

"Dad…" J began, shaking his head.

"Shut up," River agreed, before turning to her mother, "It's your best chance mum."

"Amy…" Evy breathed, seeing the determination. She couldn't even truly talk her out of it…if it had been the Doctor…she'd be doing the _exact_ same thing.

"Well, then," Amy swallowed, "I just have to blink, right?"

"No!" the Doctor shouted as LJ truly began to cry.

_Aunt Amy!_ the boy wept, _Don't go!_

"It'll be fine," Amy said, as though understanding LJ's cries, "I know it will. I'll be with him, like I should be. Me and Rory together. Melody?"

"Stop it," the Doctor begged, Evy taking his hand, trying to calm him, "Just...just stop it!"

River stepped forward and took Amy's hand, kissing it, "You look after the three of them," Amy told her, "You be a good girl, and you look after them."

"Always," River promised.

"Amy…" Evy began, needing to make sure Amy truly understood all the consequences, "Do this and you create fixed time. We'll NEVER be able to see you again."

"I'll be fine" Amy nodded, believing it, "I'll be with him."

"Amy, please," the Doctor whispered, tears in his eyes, "Just come back into the TARDIS. Come along, Pond, _please_."

"Evy," Amy sniffled, "Take care of him. LJ…be good to your parents for me eh?"

_Yes Aunt Amy,_ LJ sniffled.

Amy smiled, almost swearing she could understand the baby in his gurgling.

"Of course," J had to add as well.

"Raggedy man, impossible girl," she spun around, "Goodbye!"

And let the Angel take her.

She vanished before their eyes, her name being added to Rory's gravestone, his loving wife, having died at age 87.

"No!" the Doctor shouted, falling to his knees, in tears, Evy immediately beside him, hugging him as LJ cried in their arms.

J looked over, seeing River just staring at the statue, tears in her eyes, and moved to her, putting his arm around her, squeezing her tightly, feeling so, so guilty that he hadn't been able to stop it.

But it truly was too impossible for even his mum to do.

~8~

In the TARDIS later on, the Doctor sat on the steps, silent, inconsolable, LJ in his arms as he held his boy to him, Evy beside him, her arm through his, resting her head on his shoulder, the trio unnaturally quiet, while J and River set the coordinates and piloted them away.

"River," the Doctor glanced up at her, "They were your parents. I'm sorry, I didn't think..."

"It doesn't matter," River cut in.

"Of _course_ it matters Riv," J reached across and took her hand.

She gave him a sad smile before turning back to the Doctor, "What matters is this...Doctor, _don't_ travel alone."

He offered her a weary smile, "Travel with us, then."

"Oi!" J cried jokingly, "Get your own companion, no stealing mine…ow!" he winced as River whacked him on the shoulder, making his parents chuckle a bit, even getting his baby-self to smile, "What was _that_ for?"

"I'm not your _companion_ J," she crossed her arms, "I'm your _partner_ , remember Spaceman?"

He smiled at that, "Of course, Timegirl."

_Who?_ LJ gurgled.

J looked over, "You'll find out one day."

"Come on," River interrupted lightly, "We've got to get back to your TARDIS…"

"You've a _TARDIS_?" Evy looked up, actually surprised at that, more so than the fact he had a sonic.

J rubbed the back of his neck in a familiar move, debating what to say before deciding it wasn't _too_ detrimental to the timelines, "Your graduation gift to me," he told them, "Chunk of TARDIS that Auntie Donna was growing for you."

They nodded, they'd probably have to check in with Donna soon, see to that.

"But yeah," J nodded with a glance to River, "We _should_ head out, you've got that book to write."

"'Harmony Brooks?'" she looked at the Time Lords to double check the name, they nodded, "I presume I send it to Amy to get it published?"

"Yes," the Doctor nodded, rubbing his head, "Yes."

"I'll tell her to write an afterword," River commented as she and J moved to leave, "For you. Maybe you'll listen to her."

Evy stiffened suddenly, making the Doctor look at her in concern, "Oh my God, the last page!"

"Weed!" LJ cheered.

~8~

The Doctor and Evy ran through Central Park, back in 2012, right to where the Doctor had left the picnic basket, having dropped everything _but_ LJ to save her from the Angels.

He snatched the last page from the basket and slipped on Amy's reading glasses, moving to sit on a nearby bench to read it to Evy and LJ.

"'Afterword, by Amelia Williams," he began, "Hello, old friends. And here we are, you and me, on the last page. By the time you read these words, Rory and I will be long gone. So know that we lived well, and were _very_ happy. And above all else, know that we will love you always. Sometimes I do worry about you, though. I think once we're gone, you won't be coming back here for a while, and you might be alone, which you should _never_ be. Don't be alone, Doctor. Evy will need another friend and LJ another special friend," they smiled at that, when Amy had learned that LJ called her 'Aunt Amy' she'd remarked it made her feel old and that she'd rather be his special friend, at least till she felt old enough to be an aunt...which was odd considering how old the Time Lords were, "So find someone, please. And do one more thing for me. There's a little girl waiting in a garden. She's going to wait a long while, so she's going to need a lot of hope. Go to her. Tell her a story. Tell her that if she's patient, the days are coming that she'll never forget. Tell her she'll go to sea and fight pirates. She'll fall in love with a man who'll wait 2,000 years to keep her safe. Tell her she'll give hope to the greatest painter who ever lived and save a whale in outer space. Tell her this is the story of Amelia Pond. And this how it ends.'"

He slowly lowered the paper as Evy took his hand, pulling him up, leading him back to the TARDIS, they had a little ginger girl to find in a back garden and talk to.

And boy did they have an adventurous tale in mind for her.

~8~

Brian sat on the sofa of Amy and Rory's house, his elbows on his knees, his hands clasped together, his mouth pressed firmly against them as he listened to the Doctor and Evy finish telling him what had happened to his son and daughter-in-law. The Doctor had nearly left after meeting with young Amelia Pond, but Evy had made him return to Brian, the man deserved an explanation.

"I'm so sorry Brian," the Doctor said, tears in his voice.

"We both are," Evy added, her hand clasped tightly in the Doctor's as LJ sat in her lap, as solemn as a baby could be.

Brian just shut his eyes and shook his head…

When the doorbell rang.

He took a breath, wiping his eyes as he stood, heading for the door, needing something to pull him away from the Time Lords and their big blue box that had taken away his son.

He opened the door to see an older woman, about her mid-sixties, there, reddish hair with a few streaks of gray in them, pulled back in a bun, wearing a tan trench coat, "Oh, sorry," she smiled, an American accent to her, "Are you Brian Williams?"

He blinked, startled, "Yes…" he hesitated, eyeing her, "How did you know I was here? This isn't my house."

"This is for you," she held out an envelope, well kept, to him.

"I don't understand," he shook his head, looking at the word 'Dad' written on it.

"You should read it," she told him, "May I wait inside?"

He nodded numbly, stepping aside to let her in. She followed him to the sitting room where the Doctor and Evy were still waiting for him. She paused, her eyes widening as she stared at them and the box, before smiling and shaking her head, moving to sit beside Brian on the sofa, the Time Lords eyeing her with a small, curious smile, recognizing her from a very distant glance they'd gotten when they'd visited a meadow quite a few years in Amy and Rory's future.

She gave them a nod, as though to confirm their thoughts, and Evy beamed, the Doctor giving a small laugh, hugging Evy close as LJ stared at the woman...till she winked at him and he began to clap.

Brian frowned, eyeing them and their joyous reaction, given what had just happened to Amy and Rory, before opening the letter and reading, "'Dear dad, this is the difficult bit. If I got this right, you're reading this letter a week after we left in the TARDIS. The thing is, we're not coming back. We're alive and well and…stuck. In New York. 50 years before I was born. We can't come home again. I won't ever see you again. And that breaks my heart. I'm so sorry dad. I thought about this for years and I realized there was _one_ thing I could do. I could write to you, tell you everything about how we lived and, despite it all, that we were _happy_. But before I do, I need you to know…you are the _best_ dad any son could have had. And, for all the times I drove you mad, and you drove me mad, all the times I snapped at you...I'm sorry. I miss everything about you. Especially our awkward hugs. I bought a trowel, we have a small yard, I garden. But one more important bit of business, the woman who delivered the letter, Evelyn, be nice to her. 'Cos she's your granddaughter. We finally adopted in 1946, Evelyn Bryn Williams. She can tell you everything, she'll have Brooke, _her_ daughter, bring the family albums over. And I realize having a granddaughter who's older than you and a great-granddaughter the same age as your child is so far beyond weird, but…I'm sorry. I love you dad. I miss you.'"

Brian blinked a few times and looked at Evelyn who was smiling softly at him, "Hello grandpa."

He just reached out and hugged her tightly, the Time Lords smiling as they stood and made their way to the TARDIS, knowing Brian needed time with his family.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll definitely have some version of the 'P.S.' that never made it into the series play out in any and all DW OC stories, Brian deserved to know what happened! Grr...writers! -shakes fist- Lol, but awww...the Ponds are gone! :'( That makes me so sad! And it was even more heartbreaking, I think, for LJ because not only did he have to experience it twice, had to go the second time knowing he couldn't change anything, only that he could try to comfort them as it happened. That broke my heart to write. I see LJ, well, J as being as adventurous as the Doctor, but with Evy's consideration for timelines, like he'll push anything to an impossible stretch, but...there are just some things not even he can do :(
> 
> But at least we get the Snowmen next :) I can say that LJ will be older in it and hit another milestone in his development.
> 
> I'm also, from here on out, going to call Older LJ just J, or possibly the Captain, depending on the chapter/point in his timeline. There WILL be a time where he prefers to be called the Captain and it will have A LOT to do with River calling him J, care to guess when that might be? ;) And...LJ gets a TARDIS in the future! 
> 
> Also, I mentioned on tumblr that I had thought of theme songs for both LJ and J to be announced here. I really hope you like them, I tried to give LJ's a playful yet adventurous feel while having the same adventurous theme but a bit more mature for J :) They should be easy to find on youtube if you want to give them a listen. So, without further ado...
> 
> LJ - 'Captain Universe' by Two Steps From Hell
> 
> J - 'Racketeers' by Two Steps From Hell
> 
> I hope you all loved LJ and J :)
> 
> Next time...someone caught a cold :( The Doctor wants to save a species. Vastra's not alone when Clara comes a'calling. And what's this? There's TWO Sherlock Holmeses? How does THAT happen?!


	12. The Snowmen (Part 1)

The Doctor grumbled to himself as he stalked through the streets of Victorian London one cold winter's night. Vastra, the blasted lizard woman, kept calling him down from the cloud he'd parked the TARDIS on. He didn't want to be down there, not now, there was something wrong and he had to be there, in the TARDIS, in case he was needed, not wandering through the snow and listening to people jabber on and on about meteors or people with invisible wives or declaring war on the moon. They just didn't understand he was _needed_ somewhere else, the world didn't revolve around them, HIS Universe did NOT revolve around the Earth, not anymore.

The Earth could wait when his family needed him.

He stepped around a corner to see a woman in a red dress with brown hair standing just outside a pub, staring at a sinister-looking snowman across from her as he passed.

"Did you make this snowman?" she called as he stepped by.

"No," he muttered, continuing on.

Clearly she hadn't been able to tell from his short reply that he _wasn't_ interested in talking to her or wondering about the snowman that had captured her interest because she just kept on, "Well, who did? Because it wasn't there a second ago. It just...appeared, from nowhere."

He stopped, rolling his eyes, before he turned back to examine it, pulling on the old, round spectacles Amy had worn in New York as he eyed it, reaching out to touch it, "Maybe it's snow that fell before. Maybe it remembers how to make snowmen."

"What, snow that can remember?" the girl gave him an amused look, "That's silly."

"What's wrong with silly?"

He liked silly, silly made his son laugh, silly cheered him up. HE was silly.

"Nothing. Still talking to you, ain't I?"

She seemed to grasp that too and he couldn't help but smile at that.

"What's your name?"

"Clara."

"Nice name. Clara..."

' _Theta?_ ' he heard Evy call in his mind, ' _Were you able to get the milk?_ '

He smiled, of all the creatures in all the Universes, it had to come from a cow. That was the _only_ time they left the cloud anymore, to get milk when they ran out, ' _On my way,_ ' he told her before nodding at Clara, "You should definitely keep it. Goodbye!" he walked off.

"Oi!" she cried, following him around a corner, "Where are you going? I thought we was just getting acquainted."

He paused, shaking his head, "Those were the days," before he continued on.

Clara moved to return to the pub...when she stopped, looking back at him, getting into a carriage, and threw down her apron, hiking up her skirt to dash off after it.

~8~

"How refreshing to see you taking an interest again," the Doctor glanced up as Vastra's voice filled the carriage, coming from a small telephonic device hanging from the top of it, "Was she nice?"

"I just spoke to her."

' _And no doubt left an impression,_ ' Evy chuckled in his mind, having kept their mental link wide open so that she would know if he needed her to move the TARDIS for him.

"And made your usual impact, no doubt," Vastra said, as though reading Evy's mind.

He sighed, "No, no impact at all. Those days are over."

' _They shouldn't be,_ ' Evy told him.

He shook his head, losing Amy and Rory...it had hurt him. _Badly_. It always hurt him to lose his companions, just as it had hurt Evy to lose her friends and LJ his Aunt and Uncle. Evy though, seemed to have a better time handling it, though he suspected it was because they were her _friends_ and not her responsibility. They were his friends too, but equally it was his job to look out for them as they were his companions on top of that. And because he hadn't been quick enough, they'd been taken by the Weeping Angel. Evy had tried to get him to see that at least Amy and Rory had been together, lived a happy life, as Evelyn was proof of that, Brooke was just lovely, but he still couldn't get rid of the guilt that ate away at him. Taking on companions, they always got hurt, they always left. Evy tried to show him it was the natural order of things, nothing could last forever, especially not humans...they weren't as resilient as Time Lords seemed to be.

Still though, he'd much rather it be them for now, he knew, eventually he _would_ be able to think of another companion, move on and accept what had happened and just be happy Amy and Rory had managed to make a life together.

But it was too soon.

He needed time and, being a Time Lord, he was very good at that. Vastra though, and Jenny and Strax, just seemed to want to rush that, wanted him to 'get back in the saddle' as it were, but Evy, she understood. She would make little comments about how she'd love to have another woman around, being outnumbered by her men, commenting when they were alone that she hoped LJ's Link would be able to handle him because Lord knew that LJ was FAR too much like his father and would need someone to talk some sense into him at times and rein him in when he was being ridiculous, they both knew that River's time with their son wouldn't last forever. But, even when doing that, she never really _pushed_ him. She understood that he needed time, that it stung him to be responsible for someone and for them to get hurt because of him, she had been in his mind when Davros had made him relive most of them, though she reminded him constantly that it was 'hurt because of THEM' and that he wasn't alone anymore.

"You can't help yourself," Vastra continued, pulling him out of his thoughts, "It's the same story every time. And it always begins with the same two words."

"She'll never be able to find me again," he countered.

' _Never underestimate a human,_ ' Evy reminded him.

"She doesn't even have the name, 'Doctor,'" he said out loud to the both of them, "What two words?"

' _Doctor who?_ '

Before he could even open his mouth to comment, there was a bang on top of him. He looked up as the hatch to the top of the carriage fell down and suddenly Clara was there, hanging upside down, "Doctor? Doctor who?"

And Evy started laughing in his head.

~8~

As a man with a rather long face and medical bag stepped into an alley when a young woman, Jenny, dropped down in front of him, wearing leather trousers and a tight black shirt, standing in his way with her hands on her hips, "Well, Dr. Simeon, you're out very late tonight," she eyed the man she and her mistress had been investigating for quite a while.

"Almost makes you wonder what you've been up to," Vastra added, coming up behind him, dressed in black with a sheer veil over her face, her typical attire for travelling among the streets of London as a lizard woman, "But then, I have _often_ wondered about the activities of Dr. Simeon and his exceptionally secretive Institute."

Simeon just turned to glare at her, "Well, I am honored this evening. The veiled detective," before sneering back at Jenny, "And her fatuous accomplice."

Jenny smirked and mock-curtseyed, "At your service."

He gave Jenny a disturbed look before turning back to Vastra, "You realize Dr. Doyle is almost certainly basing his fantastical tales on your own exploits? With a few choice alterations, of course. I doubt the readers of 'The Strand' magazine would accept that the great detective is, in reality..." he stepped over to her, throwing back her veil to reveal her Silurian nature, though he seemed not at all disturbed by the alien before him, "A woman," before he stepped away and looked at Jenny again, "And her suspiciously intimate companion."

"I resent your implication of impropriety," Vastra cut in, "We are married."

"More than can be said for you, eh dear?" Jenny countered with sass.

"Now then. This snow is interesting, don't you think?" Vastra took a small handful of it, letting it fall from her fingers, "The ice crystals seem to have a low level telepathic field. Almost as if it can detect and respond to the thoughts and memories of the people around it. Memory snow. Snow that learns."

"How fascinating," he remarked dryly.

"I hope it's listening to the right people. It could be a terrible weapon in the wrong hands, don't you think?"

"I think winter is coming. Such a winter as this world has never known. The last winter of humankind. Do you know why I'm telling you all this?"

"I am intrigued."

"Because there's not a single thing you can do to stop it."

Vastra's jaw clenched, "Perhaps _I_ can't, but I know of people who can!" she called as he moved to leave.

"I look forward to meeting them," he shouted over his shoulder, disappearing around a corner.

"Do you mean the Doctor?" Jenny asked, "He won't help us. He _never_ helps anymore, you know that. He won't even let Evy help!"

"Yes, my dear, I do. So pray that Evy manages the impossible and gets through to him, because I think we are going to need them both."

~8~

The Doctor was knelt in the snow outside an alley, the carriage behind him tipping back and forth as someone inside struggled to get out, Strax, the driver, standing near it, looking out the alley with binoculars.

"They've taken samples from snowmen all over London," Strax reported, watching Simeon arrive at his Institute, "What do you suppose they're doing in there?"

"This snow is new," the Doctor eyed it, "Possibly alien. When you find something brand new in the world, something you've never seen before, what's the next thing you look for?"

"...a grenade!"

_'We're NOT letting him babysit Sigma, ever,_ ' Evy called to him, though she was laughing a bit.

"A profit," he shook his hand out as he stood, "That's Victorian values for you."

"I suggest a full frontal assault with automated laser monkeys, scalpel mines, and acid."

The Doctor just shook his head, "Why?"

Strax sighed, "Couldn't we at least investigate?"

"I don't have the time," he countered, moving past the Sontaran, "And besides, it's none of our business."

"Sir, permission to express my opposition to your current apathy?"

He sighed, rolling his eyes, "Permission granted."

"Sir, I am opposed to your current apathy."

"Let me out!" Clara cried, banging on the door, the Doctor able to hear her now that he'd moved closer to it.

"Thank you, Strax," he remarked, irritated, this really was a very big waste of time, "And if ever I'm in the need of advice from a psychotic potato dwarf, you'll certainly be the first to know."

"But if the snow is new and alien, shouldn't we be making some attempt to destroy it?" Strax asked, "Be reasonable!"

"Let me out!" Clara huffed.

"It is _not_ our problem," the Doctor repeated, "Over a thousand years of saving the Universe, Strax, do you know the one thing I learned? The Universe doesn't care."

"...in this cab," Clara seemed to kick the inside of the doors, "Oi, Doctor! Let me out! Are you listening to me?"

"Now, we have a problem of our own to worry about that I'd like to see taken care of rather quickly," he looked at his watch, "I'm late."

' _And your son is getting rather fussy,_ ' Evy added.

"Let me out!" Clara called as he stepped over to the carriage and opened the door, "Oi!"

"Don't worry," he slid into the seat across from her, "No one's going to hurt you."

"What _is_ that thing?" Clara eyed Strax, disgusted.

"Silence, boy!" Strax ordered.

"That's Strax," the Doctor turned to him, "And as you can see, he's easily confused."

Strax eyed her a moment before seeming to see what he'd done wrong, "Silence, _girl_. Sorry, lad."

"Sontaran. Clone warrior race. Factory produced, whole legions at a time. Two genders is a bit further than he can count."

"Sir, do not discuss my reproductive cycle in front of enemy girls. It's _embarrassing_."

"Typical middle child of six million."

' _We are NOT having six million children either!_ '

' _Why not?_ ' he countered playfully, ' _Don't want to save the species?_ '

She whacked him, hard, mentally for that one.

' _Joking! I was joking!_ '

' _Just get on with it Theta, Sigma really IS starting to get fussy._ '

He nodded, he wanted to be there too.

"Who _are_ you?" Clara asked him.

"It doesn't matter," he waved her off quickly, "Because you're about to forget that you and I ever met. We'll need the worm."

"Sir," Strax gave a small bodily nod as he turned to fetch it.

Clara slid over in her seat to look out, watching Strax with wide eyes, "You'll need the _what_? The worm? What worm?"

"Don't worry," the Doctor reassured her, "It's something Evy found on one of our trips, it won't hurt, but one touch on your bare skin and you lose the last hour of your memory," he looked over at Strax as the Sontaran returned, "Where is it?"

"Where's what, sir?" Strax stared at him blankly.

"I sent you to get the memory worm."

"Did you? When?" he pointed suddenly at Clara, "Who's he?" and looked around, "What are we doing here?" before shifting to look up at the sky, "Look, it's been snowing!"

The Doctor rolled his eyes, "You didn't use the gauntlets, did you?"

Strax blinked, confused, "Why would I need the gauntlets? Do you want me to get the memory worm?"

The Doctor made a motion like he was about to strangle the potato, "You..."

~8~

The Doctor stood at the end of the carriage, resting a hand on it as he stared down at Strax's legs, the Sontaran half under the carriage, trying to catch they wayward worm, Clara standing by a shop, watching them, amused.

"Well, can you see it?" he asked.

"I think I can hear it," Strax confirmed.

Clara giggled, making the Doctor look over at her, "Oi, don't try to run away. Stay where you are."

"Why would I run?" she smiled, "I know what's going to 'appen next and it's funny."

"What's funny?"

"Well, your little pal, for a start. 'e's an ugly little fella, isn't 'e?"

"Maybe. He gave his life for a friend of mine once."

"Then 'ow come 'e's alive?"

"Another friend of mine brought him back. I'm not sure all his brains made the return trip!"

"Neither am I."

"I can see it!" Strax called.

The Doctor smiled, about time, "Ooh! Can you reach it? Have you got it?"

Strax stilled, "Got what, sir?"

Clara just moved past him and grabbed a thick pair of three-fingered gloves off the carriage, "Because _these_ are the gauntlets, aren't they?"

' _I like her,_ ' Evy remarked, laughing at Strax.

"Sir, emergency! I think I've been run over by a cab!"

The Doctor hung his head, at this rate he'd _never_ make it back with the milk still fresh.

~8~

The Doctor struggled, the gauntlets on, to get the small white worm the size of a Chihuahua into the jar that it had been kept in, "There you go. One touch and you lose about an hour of your memory. Let it bite you and you could lose decades," he shut the lid, turning to see Clara watching the worm, "And you're still _not_ trying to run."

' _Who in their right mind would ever run from you Theta?_ ' Evy teased, though he couldn't help but smile at that, sending her a mental kiss.

"I don't understand 'ow the snowman built itself," Clara shrugged, "I'll run, once you've explained."

"Clara who?"

"Doctor who?"

"Oh, dangerous question."

"What's wrong with dangerous?"

' _She's a sharp one,_ ' Evy laughed, there weren't many humans she'd met could keep up with him.

Suddenly Clara's attention was drawn away as a snowman appeared beside her.

The Doctor though, hidden by the alley, didn't see it, "The snow emits a low level telepathic field..."

"My snowman," Clara murmured

"It seems to reflect people's thoughts and memories and, because it's unusual, somehow it carries a previous shape and..."

"No, Doctor," she pulled him two steps out of the alley, pointing at the snowman, "My snowman."

"Ah!" he stepped closer, "Interesting. Well, were you thinking about it?" he looked at her.

"Yes."

And then two more popped up.

"Well, stop," he told her, and even more, "Clara, stop thinking about the snowmen!" he turned and tried to pull her away, when _more_ popped up behind them, one breathing snowflakes at them, "Get down!" he dropped to his knees, Clara before him, grabbing her hands so she'd focus, "Clara, listen to me. The snow's feeding off your thoughts."

"I don't understand."

"You're caught in their telepathic field. They're mirroring you. The more you think about the snowmen, the more they appear. Imagine them melting. Picture it. Picture them melted!"

Clara squeezed her eyes shut, trying her hardest to imagine the snowmen melting as the sun came out...only to get splashed moments later with icy water as the snowmen literally melted.

' _Bravo,_ ' Evy said, impressed with how quickly the girl had been able to keep her head and focus, not an easy thing to do for a human in the middle of a strange and possibly deadly situation.

"Well," he nodded, "Very good. Very, very good. Ha!"

"Is that going to 'appen again?" Clara gasped, resting against a wall, staring at the puddles on the ground.

"Well, if it does, you know what to do about it."

She nodded at the worm, "Unless I forget."

' _She's good,_ ' Evy remarked, making him groan.

~8~

The Doctor put Clara into his carriage, " _Don't_ come looking for me. Forget about me. You understand?"

"What about the snow?" she leaned out, keeping him from closing the door, "Shouldn't we be warning people?"

He just pushed her back in, "Not my problem," and shut the door, "Merry Christmas," he looked up at Strax, "Take her back where we found her."

Strax muttered, "Sir," and led the carriage off as the Doctor turned with his small bag of milk to head back.

Clara though, just slid out the other side of the carriage and waited till it passed before following the man to the local park. She hid behind a tree, watching as he hopped over a railing and walked on, looking around as he innocently whistled 'Silent Night.' She frowned, watching him intently as he jumped up, hanging from mid-air as he grabbed something, dropping slowly as a ladder descended down to the ground. He climbed up it and, a few moments later, the ladder rose up and disappeared after him. She dashed out from behind the tree, rushing into the park and looking around for the ladder.

She looked up, readying herself, before jumping...and falling to her back in the snow. She huffed, getting up and brushing herself off before giving it one more go...and succeeding in grabbing the end of the ladder, handing there a moment, "Come on..." before it lowered.

She grinned, looking up it before she started to climb, ending up on a small platform at the end of the ladder, connected to a long spiral staircase. She looked at a few people walking below and waved, "'ello," she called, but they didn't seem to see her or hear her, "Invisible," she realized, before turning to the spiral staircase. She looked up, hearing the Doctor's footsteps above her, "An invisible staircase," she smiled and began to climb up it.

~8~

The Doctor smiled as he caught sight of the old blue box, looking a little worse for the wear, but he knew from conversations with the box, thanks to Evy's invention, that the box was just as sad at the loss of the Pretty One and the Orangey Girl as they all were. She'd changed the desktop herself in tribute of them. She'd claimed that the desktop she'd had was one that just Amy and Rory had had, that the next companion, when the next companion came around, they would need a different one, no repeating, no sharing.

One desktop per companion, a promise she was determined to keep.

He reached out and opened the door, stepping in to see the TARDIS in a conversation with Evy who seemed quite exasperated with the box, holding a squirming LJ in her arms, his little nose a bit pink.

"No," Evy was saying, "I told you, he hasn't ingested Huon particles," she sighed.

' _But he's crying,_ ' the TARDIS said, ' _His tummy hurts just like mine did when the loud ginger lady appeared._ '

Evy rolled her eyes, "Because he's _ill_ girl, he's just got a bit of a cold is all because some idiot out there decided it would be good fun to try and teach a baby to make a snowball and LJ ended up getting snow everywhere. He'll be fine once he gets some sleep, medicine, and food."

' _But..._ '

"Hello!" he called, stepping in to kiss Evy's cheek before kissing LJ's head as he fussed and cried.

He frowned, the boy had a bit of a fever to go with his cold. He felt a bit bad, LJ had been _begging_ them to go out and play in the snow and...he just couldn't say no to the little boy. He was too small to really build a snowman, and Evy refused to let her son flop around in the snow. He was nearing 14 months old and, despite being the son of the greatest runner in the Universe, hadn't quite mastered walking yet. He was getting _very_ close to actually doing it though, but he tended to fall down on his bum, before laying down on his back like he was exasperated, before rolling onto his stomach and pushing himself up again. He would have been covered in snow...not that he wasn't when the Doctor decided to show him how to make a snowball after finally managing to talk Evy into letting their son experience his first real Earth snowfall, citing he didn't want the boy's memories of snow to be from Androzani or the Dalek Aslyum.

The boy had entertained himself by tossing the snow into the air and giggling, managing to say 'snow!' as it showered around him...before trying to move onto his stomach and gather the snow to him, ending up with his face half buried in it...before trying to steal the snow to show the TARDIS by stuffing it in his pockets and inside his little snowsuit. He'd ended up with quite a cold as a result. Their people normally wouldn't be so susceptible to such a disease, so simple, but he was still a baby, it would take time for him to build up the immunities of their people.

Evy had smacked the Doctor when she'd heard the boy sneeze and taken his temperature as he sniffled through his stuffed nose.

He had to give a small smile though, LJ was crying more because he was stuck inside and not allowed out again than the fact he was sick.

_But I want to see the snowmen!_ he clutched to Evy's hair, curling it around his little hand as his nose stuffed up.

"My poor boy," the Doctor gave a light laugh, leaning in to kiss his head again, taking him from Evy as she took the milk, heading off into the TARDIS to warm it up, hoping the sleep would help their son get through the worst of the illness.

"Da...da," he said out loud.

He beamed at that as the boy grabbed his bow-tie, LJ was getting better at his sounds now. He could say quite a few words, pronounce letters like D, M, L, and quite a few others, along with a few vowels, he'd even conquered his slips with R's for the most part. Though he still seemed to get thrown by 'River' at times, calling her 'Wiv' despite being able to say other words with R in it.

"Dada!" he tugged on the bow-tie again as his father seemed to ignore him.

"Shh," he bobbed the boy, "I know boyo, I know. But the snow will still be there in the morning, don't you worry," he looked down at his son as he calmed, "You just let your mum and I get you all better and we'll all be back out there in no time."

"Yesh?" LJ looked up at his father. He was trying to speak better, it was frustrating to his little mind to be so well understood by his parents when he garbled in Baby but for others to be so confused. His mind was advanced, he knew words, he knew how walking worked, he just...hadn't gotten to it yet. His little legs hadn't walked before, they had to learn, like his voice and his speech had to develop too to catch up to his mind.

He laughed, "Oh yes."

' _You had better take better care of him,_ ' the TARDIS warned, ' _If he gets ill again, you'll have ME to deal with and not just Evy._ '

The Doctor winced at that as he shifted LJ so he could cross his hearts, "Cross my hearts."

"Yesh!" LJ laughed, before resting his head against his father's chest, calmed now, curling up against his father with his little thumb in his mouth as the Doctor hummed and swayed, murmuring an old lullaby as he tried to help his son sleep...

When there was a _knock_ on the doors.

He frowned, looking over, as Evy stepped back in with the bottle of milk, "Was that the door?" she asked, frowning as well.

He nodded and she headed towards it as he stayed inside, LJ _just_ starting to doze and the cold wouldn't do him any good.

Evy opened the doors and looked out, "Hello?" she called, looking around. She stepped out, "Anyone?" before moving to head around the box, only to see no one there, "Bueller?"

And then she heard it, the sound of someone on the steps. She moved over to them, picking up a red shawl that had fallen before heading back into the TARDIS.

"Recognize this?" she asked, holding up the cloth to the Doctor.

He sighed, shaking his head, "Clara."

' _She's very rude,_ ' the TARDIS huffed, ' _She didn't even say hello!_ '

The Time Lords laughed, if the TARDIS was still in Idris, they could imagine her crossing her arms and pouting at that.

~8~

The next morning Clara strode through town, she'd just come from her real job as a governess, not filling in at the bar, that wasn't her job, not anymore. One of the children she tended to, Francesca, was having terrible nightmares about the governess who preceded her, who had died in a little pond on the family's estate, which froze over till spring, none of them realizing the governess was trapped in there till then. Frannie's brother, Digby, had thought that she was going mad, that she needed a doctor, and there she was, getting one.

She moved right over to the tree from last night, looking around, but the ladder was gone, "Doctor! Doctor!" she started jumping in the air, trying to catch the ladder, not even minding the growing crowd, staring at her, the children needed help, "Doctor!"

"Now then, that's enough noise," a young woman, Jenny, rushed over to her, "We don't want to attract attention, do we?"

"I'm looking for the Doctor. Do you know about him? The Doctor?"

Jenny smirked, "Doctor who?"

Clara grinned widely.

~8~

Jenny led her back to a rather large, though very tasteful home, to a Madame Vastra she'd said. Clara nearly gasped when she saw Strax standing beyond the door, "Do not attempt to escape or you will be obliterated!" he warned, "May I take your coat?"

She blinked and handed her coat over before Jenny brought her to a small conservatory, where a lizard woman was sitting primly in a regal chair, surrounded by many exotic plants. But that wasn't what stopped her dead, it was the woman in 'western' garb sitting beside her with a baby on her lap.

"Sit," Jenny gestured at a chair across from Vastra.

Evy looked over at Clara who was staring at her with wide eyes more so than the green reptilian woman beside her, "Hello Clara," she greeted as Clara blinked and stepped in further.

"Lara!" LJ giggled, clapping his hands and waving at her with both of them.

Clara gave a little giggle, waving at the baby as she sat, "Hello."

Vastra smiled, happy to see at least one Time Lord interacting, she and Evy had been discussing how they might help the Doctor. Vastra wanted him to move on, to come back, but Evy had insisted something like that couldn't be rushed. She missed the Ponds too, so much, and it hurt a lot to have lost them. That sort of heartbreak couldn't be healed instantly, no matter what help there was to be had. They were just talking about ways they might make the Doctor see that it was alright to be around others while mourning, that to mourn alone only made the pain worse, sharing it with others, recalling the best times of those who had been lost, was a better way of healing.

"There are two refreshments in your world the color of red wine," Vastra told Clara as she set a small cup with red liquid to the side, "This is _not_ red wine."

"Madame Vastra and Miss Daniels..."

"Evy," Evy interrupted Jenny, sending the girl a slightly irritated look, she hated formalities.

"Will ask you questions," Jenny continued as Clara looked at her.

"Me!" LJ called.

Jenny smiled, "And young master John," she added as LJ clapped at being included, "You will confine yourself to single word responses. _One word_ only, do you understand?"

Clara nodded, but had to ask, "Why?"

"Truth can be found in simplicity," Evy explained, bobbing LJ as he squirmed, turning to try and tug on her jacket. While the Doctor had gone for a more Victorian outfit, she remained in her typical attire, wearing her favorite tan pants and jacket, the pants tucked into dark brown boots that went to her knees, and a red shirt, "Lies though, are just…words," she shrugged.

Vastra nodded, "You met the Doctor, didn't you?"

"Yes," Clara spoke.

"And you followed him up to the TARDIS," Evy continued, "The box on the clouds," she elaborated as Clara looked confused.

She gave a sheepish smile, "Yes."

"And now you've come looking for him again," Vastra eyed her, "Why?"

Clara looked down in thought, Jenny commenting, "Take your time. One word only."

She nodded, looking up, "Curiosity."

"What about?" Evy smiled.

"Snow."

"Sno!" LJ giggled, tugging on her hair as he succeeded in standing on her lap, "Muh-me! Sno!"

"Yes dear," she nodded, kissing his head, pleased he was feeling better. She ran a hand through his brown hair, it was thicker and already starting to stick up like his older self's did, "She's noticed the snow too."

LJ had been adorable playing in the snow, she had to admit. Though he'd frowned when he'd crawled to a snowman, poking it before stating, 'Sno bad!'

Thank God he seemed to have inherited her sense of self-preservation and sense of danger.

"And about him?" Vastra wondered, pulling Evy from her thoughts.

"Yes," Clara nodded.

"What do you want him for?" Evy frowned.

"Help."

"Why?" Vastra asked.

"Danger."

"Why would he help you?"

"Kindness," Clara said, as though it explained everything.

"The Doctor is _not_ kind," Vastra scoffed.

Clara blinked, giving a small, disbelieving smile, "No?"

" _No_. The Doctor doesn't help people."

"Not anymore, at least," Evy sighed.

"He stands above this world and doesn't interfere in the affairs of its inhabitants. He is _not_ your salvation, nor your protector. Do you understand what I am saying to you?"

Clara smiled wider, "Words."

Evy nodded, "Very good," before she turned and placed LJ down beside her on the floor, among a small pile of stuffed animals…alien animals…to play with as she turned to Clara, "He was different once, a long time ago. Kind, yes, so incredibly kind. A hero to _so many_."

"The saver of worlds," Vastra nodded.

"But…he lost people," Evy explained, "As I did. And it hurt us, a lot. But, while I remain open to friendships of the like, he has preferred to seek out isolation. He's been hurt so much Clara, by so many things he just...doesn't want it to happen again," she glanced at LJ who had immediately crawled to Clara's side the moment he was on the ground and tugged on the skirt of her dress till she'd picked him up and put him on her lap, "Especially not to us."

"Kindly choose a word to indicate your understanding of this."

Clara looked at the little boy on her lap, who had grabbed her hand by a finger or two and was shaking it, examining it with a curiosity only a child could have, "Father."

Evy smiled softly at that, "Exactly."

"We are the Doctor's friends," Vastra introduced, "As Evy is his Link."

"Link?" Clara looked up.

"Um, wife," Evy supplied, not really wanting to get into the whole long explanation of what Linking was.

"We assist him in his isolation but that does _not_ mean we approve of it."

Evy scoffed, "I've smacked him for it at times."

Vastra smiled as Clara laughed, "So, Evy has a test for you."

Clara frowned, "Test?"

Evy nodded, getting up to walk over, "I want you to give me a message to take back to the Doctor," she explained, reaching out to pick up her son, "In it, you must tell him everything about the snow, why you think it's dangerous, and why you think he should come and help. Uh uh," she shook her finger as Clara moved to speak, "And you can only do it in a single word."

"How?" Clara breathed at the impossibility of it.

Evy smiled, "You think it's impossible," she nodded, it was a fair assumption, "I have plenty of experience in that. If you want the Doctor to help, to be interested, you MUST do the impossible. Take all the time you need."

~8~

Evy smiled widely as she ran her finger along the lock of the TARDIS, opening her up as she stepped inside with LJ who was babbling excitedly, half in Baby, half in words about their meeting with Clara. He rather liked the woman, she was nice and he thought her nose was interesting even if it was a bit small.

"Theta?" she called, putting LJ's bag by the door.

He looked up from where he was sitting beside the console, reading, well, skimming, trying to pick out a bedtime story for LJ and ignoring the TARDIS's 'helpful' suggestions, "Hello," he grinned, "How was your visit?"

While he was not a fan of returning to the Earth, he knew Evy. He knew how much she loved all her friends, even when she was suffering, she would spend time with them, talk to them. And so he would let her go to them. He trusted Vastra, Jenny, and Strax, to keep her safe while with them and…if not…well, she'd created another spatial shifter that could be activated to get her back to the TARDIS if anything happened. He hadn't been about to let LJ go though, the boy had _just_ gotten over his cold last night, but he'd insisted, saying he liked the Lizzy, his own term for Silurians.

"Interesting," she nodded, moving to sit beside him, placing LJ in his lap as the baby squirmed into his arms.

"Lara!" he cheered, hugging his father around the neck in his excitement to share the latest story of their trip to Earth.

The Doctor laughed and looked at Evy, "Lara?"

"He means _Clara_ ," she explained.

' _The rude girl?_ ' the TARDIS huffed, ' _What about her?_ '

"She came to visit while I was there. We had a nice chat," she added as he groaned.

"And what did she say this time?" he looked at her, "Did she follow you back?"

"No," she laughed, "She just…was worried about the snow. Vastra and I gave her the one word test."

"That's always pointless."

' _You only think that because you can't do it,_ ' the TARDIS remarked, knowing her thief was notorious for rambling and talking and...well, talking.

"She _did_ say some rather interesting things though," Evy added.

He hesitated a moment, "What did she say?"

Evy reached over to gently take Amy's reading glasses off his nose, holding them up, "Pond."

"Pond?" he swallowed.

She nodded, "You can guess where Strax wants to start his own investigation."

He sighed, that would be _just_ what they needed a psychotic potato dwarf with a gun running around to all the ponds of London.

He nodded, before looking at LJ who was staring up at him with wide eyes.

"Peas da-da?" LJ asked.

He smiled, "Anything for you boyo."

Evy laughed and kissed his cheek, "I'll run a scan for energy signals connected to the water supply, find the source."

He got up, scooping LJ into his one arm as the boy squealed at the sudden move, helping Evy up as well, "And I'll go get our boy ready."

Evy smiled, watching them go.

Her means of punishment would have to be changed. LJ, despite hating the outfits _she_ had put him into to teach him to watch his language… _loved_ it when he and his father dressed alike...

Well, except for the bow-tie.

~8~

Dr. Simeon was sitting at his desk in his rather large study, a large sphere with snow blasting around inside it stationed on a platform in the center of the room, connected to electronics.

"Danger!" the snow called, "Danger."

He looked up, alarmed, before making his way towards it, "What's wrong?"

"There is danger here. An intelligence. An intelligence beyond anything else in this time and place..."

Just then the doors burst open and a servant ran in, "Dr. Simeon, sir. There's someone demanding to see you!"

"No callers, not in here, not ever," Simeon shook his head, not looking away from the snow, "Did he leave his name?"

"Sir, it's Sherlock Holmes!" the servant cried, "And there's two of them!"

The doors opened again and the Doctor entered, dressed to the nine's like Sherlock Holmes, complete with a deerstalker hat, a cane, a cape, and a pipe sticking out of his mouth.

"More like one and a half," Evy remarked as she stepped up beside him, not bothering with a disguise, as LJ sat in her arms, dressed like a mini-Doctor/Holmes, complete with his own cape, hat, sans cane though, he'd started hitting things with it, but with a little pipe that blew bubbles.

"Me!" LJ declared.

The Doctor just tipped his hat at his son before looking around the space before them, "Oh, nice office. Big globey thing. Now, shut up, don't tell me!" he pointed his cane at Simeon, "I see from your collar stud you have an apple tree and a wife with a limp. Am I right?"

Evy just shook her head, moving further into the room with LJ, towards a desk off to the side.

"No," Simeon stated.

"Do you have a wife?"

"No."

"Bit of a tree? Bit of a wife? Some apples? Come on, work with me here."

"I enjoy 'The Strand' magazine as much as the next man, but I am perfectly aware that Sherlock Holmes is a fictional character nor does he have a son!" he glared, "Get out!"

The Doctor just turned his cane on the servant still standing there, "Do you have a goldfish named Colin?"

The man gave it thought, "No..."

"Thought not," the Doctor smirked.

Evy smiled, handing him a business card she'd taken from the desk, "What about this?"

He grinned, eyeing it, "Ooh. I see this is one of your business cards. It says so on the front."

"Who _are_ you?" Simeon glared at them, "And what are you doing here?"

The Doctor tossed the cane in his hand, catching it, "This!" he ran quickly towards the snow, "Wakey wakey!" hitting the glass with the cane.

_Why couldn't I have my stick mummy?_ LJ looked up at his mother.

"Because then you'd do just what your father is," she sighed, watching him whack the glass.

"Hit!" he giggled.

She shook her head, "No dear, hitting is very bad."

"Dada…" he pointed at her.

She blinked, caught there, it seemed LJ had inherited that too…

"That's different."

"No!"

She laughed, "Well, your father deserves it quite a bit."

"Yesh."

She nodded, turning to lean on the desk, half-sitting on it, as they watched Simeon run to the Doctor and try to stop him, _try_ being the operative word.

"That is highly valuable equipment!" Simeon tried to snatch the cane away, "You must step away now."

"We are the Intelligence," the snow spoke.

Evy blinked, "Talking snow. That's new."

The Doctor beamed, "I love new things!"

"Me!" LJ agreed, clapping, whether about himself being new and his parents loving him or also loving new things, they weren't sure, though both were true.

"You are not of this world," the snow continued as Evy started to frown, the Intelligence, the Doctor had come across that once or twice already…but it seemed at a later point in the 'snow's' timeline as it didn't recognize him...yet.

"Takes one to snow one," the Doctor laughed…but there was silence. He looked at Evy, "No?"

"No," she shook her head with a fond smile, moving to his side and sonicing the snow.

"Right," he cleared his throat and turned back to the snow, "Let's see…" he looked at Evy's sonic with her.

"Multi-nucleate crystalline organism," she read, looking at it, "Which can copy and mirror whatever it finds."

"Looks like snow. Isn't snow."

"You must leave here, now," Simeon stepped towards them.

Evy rolled her eyes, handing LJ over to the Doctor, leaving the two Holmeses to their deductions while she wandered around the edge of the room, flashing the doors with her sonic, locking them. Simeon didn't notice as he ran to a cord and began to tug on it, calling for his servants to attend him and help.

"Shut up," the Doctor told him as he bobbed LJ, "We're making deductions, aren't we boyo?" he took his son's hand, "It's very exciting. Now," he turned back to the snow, "What are you, eh? A flock of space crystals? A swarm? The snowmen are foot soldiers, mindless predators. But you, _you're_ the clever one. You're Moriarty. So, you turn up on a planet, you generate a telepathic field to learn what you can, and when you've learnt enough, what do you do? You can't conquer the world using snowmen. Snowmen are rubbish in July. You'll have to be better than that. You'll have to evolve."

Evy smirked as the servants arrived but were unable to get through the doors.

"Sir, it appears to be stuck!" one of the servants rattled against it.

Simeon strode over to it, where Evy was leaning against the wall beside the doors, smirking, her arms crossed, "What have you done?" he glared at her, "Have you locked the doors?"

"Did I?" she asked, blowing on the end of her sonic before she spun it in her fingers and put it in its little holster.

"You need to translate yourself into something more, well, human," the Doctor continued at the snow as Evy came back over.

"Kick it down!" Simeon ordered his men.

"But in order for that to happen," Evy added, having been listening the whole time, "You need to have a replica of human DNA but in ice form," she looked around the room, they just had to find the blueprints.

"Where do you find that?" the Doctor wondered, watching as she walked over to the desk Simeon had been sitting at.

"Sir?" a servant yelled.

"Get in here, quickly!" Simeon hissed.

"I've got a master key somewhere, sir..."

"There we are," Evy smiled, looking at the most worn and used file. She picked it up and simply dropped it to the floor, knowing that it would fall open at the page that had been forced open most often, "Perfect," she leaned down and snatched a newspaper clipping off the file, bringing it over to the Doctor for him and LJ to see, "'Tragedy at Darkover House.'"

The Doctor glanced at Simeon, still trying to open the doors, "You know, you really should delete your history. 'Governess Frozen in Pond.' Gotcha!"

"Run!" LJ cheered, pointing at the French doors, the only ones that Evy had left unlocked.

"You got it boyo!" the Doctor agreed as they dashed off and out the doors.

"Got it, sir!" the servant called, finally managing to get the doors open as a few other men entered with him.

"Get in here!" Simeon led them in, "Take them downstairs…" he trailed off in anger when he saw that the three of them had already escaped.

~8~

The Doctor and Evy walked around the different sides of the pond just outside Darkover House, both flashing it with their sonics. LJ wasn't with them at the moment, they weren't sure what might be happening so they'd left him in the care of others for now.

"Well," Evy sighed, putting her sonic in its holster as she looked at the Doctor across the pond from her, crossing her arms, "A body frozen in a pond would certainly give them enough time to replicate the DNA with the needed accountances for ice."

"Everything they need to evolve," he murmured, crouched down, rubbing his eyes. He stood up, "Pond," he looked at Evy as she smiled, "Good point, Clara."

She opened her mouth to agree when she spotted, more like heard, her son, "Run! Run!"

She laughed, seeing Strax hurrying as fast as his little legs could take him towards them with a squirming LJ in his arms, looking like he was just barely keeping the boy from jumping out of his arms, "What are you two doing here?" she asked, "I told you to keep him with you and Jenny and Vastra!"

"Muh-me!" LJ cheered, reaching for her as Strax struggled to keep hold of him at the moves.

She shook her head and walked over, taking her son back as he started to tug her hair excitedly.

"The young master demanded he be brought to you at once," Strax stated, "And a soldier must _never_ ignore an order from a superior officer."

The Doctor blinked, "…how is a BABY a superior officer?"

Strax paused, "When said baby's orders coincide with another's, yes."

"What others?" Evy shook her head as the Doctor moved over to her side.

"Madame Vastra wondered if you were needing any grenades," Strax replied.

"Grenades?" the Doctor gave him a look.

"She might have said help."

"Help for what?"

"Well, your investigation."

"Investigation?" he scoffed, "Who says I'm investigating?"

"I think your actions do dear," Evy remarked.

He turned to her though, "Do you think I'm going to start investigating just because some bird smiles at me? Who do you think I am? I only ever do that for YOU and LJ…and sometimes that batty cat lady we ran into in 1969…"

Evy laughed, there was one woman in the flat that they had all shared in 1969. The Doctor had grown so bored once she and Martha implemented their rules for him that he'd taken to cat sitting this lovely old woman's (who wasn't quite all there) cats for her. They hadn't known what to think when they'd stepped back into the flat to see him having a conversation with a score of cats…and then another time where he'd been trying to create his own cat circus by teaching them tricks.

"Sherlock Holmes," Strax called.

"I prefer John Smith," Evy smiled.

"Don't be clever, Strax," the Doctor agreed with her, "It doesn't suit you."

"Sorry, sir," Strax rolled his eyes.

" _We're_ the clever ones, _you're_ the potato one."

"Yes, sir."

"Now go away."

"Yes," Strax agreed, waiting till the Doctor turned back to Evy to add, "Mr. Holmes."

"Oi!" he spun around as the potato walked off. He turned to Evy as she laughed, pointing a finger at her, "Shut up…"

And then she put her hand on her hip and gave him her infamous 'eyebrow of doom,' "Excuse me?"

He swallowed hard, audibly gulping, "I love you?"

She shook her head and turned back to the pond, showing it to LJ.

He winced and called to Strax, wanting to distract Evy, "You're not clever or funny and you've got tiny little legs!"

There was a sudden change in lighting as the area around them grew to more of a warm gold. They looked up, squinting a bit to see Clara had appeared in the window of an upper floor of the house, waving at them.

Evy waved back as LJ used both hands to do so, "Lara!" he cheered, "Lara! Lara!"

The Doctor just lifting a hand, "Ok," he rubbed his head, "Just tell her we're leaving, we're not going up. Leaving. Not going up," he held up his hand again, giving her a 5 and a thumb's up.

Evy laughed, "What was _that_ about?"

"Five minutes," he smacked his hand, "Where did _that_ come from? You…"

"Come on," Evy laughed more, taking his hand, "Let's get you and your traitorous hand up to see what Clara was worried about."

"Tator!" LJ called, taking his father's 'traitorous hand' by two fingers and shaking it, making him laugh as they made their way into the house...

...not even noticing the pond cracking behind them.

~8~

Clara smiled as she turned away from the window, seeing the three of them heading for the house.

"Am I going to have the nightmare tonight?" Francesca asked, sounding truly worried and afraid.

She turned round, smiling at the two children as they sat on their beds, a single candle lit, ready to sleep, "Definitely not."

"How do you know?"

"Because someone's coming to help," she moved to sit on the edge of Francesca's bed.

"Who?"

She patted the bed and moved over for Digby to join them, "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Is it one of your stories? Your definitely true ones?"

"Oh!" she made a mock offended noise, "All my stories are true."

Digby laughed, "Like how you were born behind the clock face of Big Ben?"

"Accounting for my acute sense of time."

"And you invented fish," Francesca added.

"Because I dislike swimming alone."

"So what's this one?" Digby smiled.

She leaned in, "There's a man called the Doctor. He lives on a cloud in the sky with his wife, Evy, and their son, and all he does, all day every day, is to stop all the children in the world ever having bad dreams."

"I've been having bad dreams!" Francesca exclaimed.

"He's been on holiday, helping the missus with their child. But I am confident she's gotten him to return to work. And as a matter of fact," she glanced at the candle as it flickered in a gentle breeze, the door opening, "They're right here," she smiled at the door, fully expecting the aliens to enter, "Aren't you?"

...only for a statue of living ice in the shape of a cranky old governess to step in instead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the start of this chapter was a bit Evy-lite, just wanted to give the Doctor some time to shine :) Here quite a few months have passed for the Time Lords. I pictured LJ to be about 6-ish months old in TATM, and here he's about 14 months. I can say a few more months will pass between this special and TBOSJ :)
> 
> Next chapter...the Doctor really likes Clara. LJ succeeds in doing something, for Clara. Evy reminds the Doctor of something :)


	13. The Snowmen (Part 2)

"Bloomin' 'ell!" Clara leapt to her feet, dropping the prim accent she spoke with around the family. The children screamed at the sight of the ice woman and Clara grabbed their hands to pull them behind her.

"The children have been very naughty!" the statue shouted.

"Get back. Now. Quickly."

"You're doing your other voice!" Digby called, speaking about the secret voice she used just with them, a 'less than proper' accent.

"Yes love, did you notice?"

"Naughty, naughty children!" the statue screeched, reaching for them jerkily.

"Run!" she pulled them on and they ran around the statue to the doors, dashing down the hall, into another room, the school room where the children took their studies.

"What do we do?" Digby gasped.

Clara turned to Francesca, putting her hands on the girl's shoulders, "Frannie, Frannie, imagine 'er melting."

"What?" Francesca shook her head.

"In your 'ead. Melt 'er."

"I can't!"

"I'm getting impatient!" they could hear the statue call as she started to force the door open, "You have been very naughty!"

"What about the man?" Digby turned to Clara, "You said the man and his wife were here, the cloud man!"

"Well, 'e's not, is 'e?" Clara tried to keep the children behind her, guarding them.

"Where's the Doctor?"

"I don't know!"

"Could you be a little quieter?" a voice said from the side of the room. They looked over to see Evy sitting on a desk, cross-legged, with LJ in her lap, watching a puppet show going on in the small theater set up across from them, "The show's about to get good."

They looked over to see a Punch puppet pop up with a metal wand with a green tip in his little arms, "Doctor? Doctor? Doctor who?" before it turned the sonic screwdriver on the statue, flashing it just as it broke through,. Evy pointing her own for more effect.

The statue shattered to the ground before starting to melt.

"That's the way to do it!" the Doctor laughed as he popped up, but still doing a Punch voice which made LJ clap until Punch turned and kissed the Doctor, "Oi my Link's right there!" so Punch slapped him, "Ow."

"Dada," LJ giggled, making the Doctor wink and point at him as he made his way out of the theater, over to Evy's side as she soniced the ice chunks, scanning them.

"Where did she go?" Francesca watched them, "Will she come back?"

"No," Evy looked at the readings, "Not right at the moment. So far she's melting, as she should," she frowned at the sonic, "I do hope I worked out all the bugs," she glanced at the children, "Sorry, new app I've been working on, anti-freeze."

"And you're very welcome, by the way," the Doctor added to Clara.

"I'm very grateful," Clara panted, "I knew you'd come."

"No, you didn't, because I don't," he turned to her, "Because this isn't the sort of thing I do anymore, not when it can endanger my family. So next time you're in trouble, don't expect me to…" he trailed off, seeing Evy looking at him sadly, a _very_ quiet LJ looking down, fiddling with the sleeves of his mother's jacket as he was held in her arms, as solemn as a baby could be.

He sighed, this was _not_ the sort of person he wanted his son to learn to be, to grow to be. The kind who turned down people who needed help, who didn't comfort those who were scared, who didn't _care_ about others…that was not the sort of man to be proud of, that was not the sort of father a boy could be proud of.

"What is it?" Clara frowned, seeing him stop, "What's wrong?"

The Doctor just ignored her, walking over to Evy and putting his arms around her and LJ, hugging them close, "I'm sorry," he whispered to them, finally realizing what she'd been trying to show him, "I didn't realize…"

Evy just smiled and gave him a peck, "You always were a brooder," she shrugged, tugging his bow-tie to straighten it, "Old habits and all that."

"It's cooler," Clara commented, looking around.

The Doctor smiled as LJ laughed, tugging on his father's bow-tie, making it all askew again. For a boy who claimed it 'wasn't cool' he seemed to love playing with it an awful lot, "Yeah, it is, isn't it?" the Doctor tapped his son's nose, "It is _very_ cool. Bow-ties are cool."

_No they're not_ , LJ shook his head, though he didn't stop playing with it.

"Doctor she means the room," Evy cut in, tugging LJ close, not wanting him to catch another cold, despite him bundled up in a nice little holiday sweater and thick pants with warm wool socks and little boots on.

He looked up, alarmed to see it _was_ colder inside…when a bump rose up in the carpet.

"She's coming back!" Digby gasped as the Doctor scanned the lump.

"What's she going to do?" Francesca whimpered, terrified, "Is she going to punish me?"

"Er, er," the Doctor looked at his readings before turning to Evy, "She's learnt not to melt," before turning to the girl, "Of course, she's not _really_ a governess, she's just a beast. She's going to eat you...ow!" he winced as Evy whacked him for that.

"Don't scare her!" Evy chastised.

But before he could reply, LJ shouted, "Run!"

"Good idea!" Evy agreed, grabbing the Doctor's hand and pulling him out of the room with the humans following them out the door, the Time Lords stopping to usher the children on first.

Francesca and Digby raced down the stairs, their father stepping out of his study at the thunderous noise of them stomping, "Children, what is the expla..." he stopped suddenly, glaring at the Doctor, Evy, and LJ, "Who the devil are _you_? What are you doing in my house?"

"It's ok," the Doctor smiled, "I am your governess's gentleman friend, and I've just been upstairs kissing my wife," he beamed at Evy, "Isn't she lovely?"

Evy just shook her head at him.

"Captain Latimer!" one of the maids rushed in, "In the garden, there's snowmen! And they're just growing out of nowhere, all by themselves. Look!" she moved to the front door as there was knock, throwing it open to see a green lizard woman and her dark-haired maid standing there.

"Good evening," Vastra nodded in greeting, "I'm a lizard woman from the Dawn of Time..."

"Iddy!" LJ cheered, not quite mastering the L with the Z out loud yet.

"Yes, hello John," Vastra waved at him, one of the few people to call him John and not LJ, but then again, she had always been a rather formal lizard woman, "And this is my wife, Jenny."

The maid screamed and ran back inside, only to come face-to-face with Strax, "This dwelling is under attack. Remain calm, human scum."

Before she fainted.

"Right then..." Evy nodded, now that the typical reaction to aliens had been taken care of, "Has anyone got questions?"

The children's father just looked at Clara, "You have a gentleman friend?" even though he could tell the man was already taken, it still got to him that she had male friends he wasn't aware of, he was rather...fond...of her.

"And gentlewoman friends," Evy added, "And baby friends," she made LJ wave.

_He's funny_ , LJ remarked, most humans would be demanding to know what was going on, not focused on a governess knowing another man.

"Vastra, what's happening?" the Doctor looked at her, a bit concerned that not only was his Link now apparently trapped in the house but their son as well.

"The snow is highly localized and, on this occasion, not naturally occurring," Vastra reported.

"It's coming out of that cab parked by the gates," Jenny nodded.

"Sir, one pulver grenade would blow these snowmen to smithereens!" Strax called.

"They're _snow_ Strax," Evy shook her head, "Snow is nothing _but_ smithereens."

"Sno bad!" LJ huffed, pouting at that. He liked the snow, generally, but this snow was not the good snow. It didn't make nice snowmen, like that Frosty person.

Evy nodded, "They'll reform faster than her," she jerked her thumb at the stairs where the statue had just appeared.

"See, Clara?" the Doctor sighed, "Our friends again."

"Clara?" the father shook his head, "Who's Clara?"

"Your current governess is, in reality, a former barmaid called Clara."

"That's the way to do it!" the statue shouted, making her way to the landing.

"Meanwhile your previous governess is now a living ice sculpture impersonating Mr. Punch and..."

Evy put her hand over the Doctor's mouth to cut off his latest ramble and turned to Jenny, "Jenny, have you got anything that might help with her?"

Jenny nodded and held up a small box with red wires, tossing it at the statue, creating a red force field on the landing, holding her back, "That should hold it," Jenny brushed her hands off.

"Sir, this room," Strax gestured them over to the study, "One observational window on the line of attack and one defendable entrance."

"Right," the Doctor nodded, pulling Evy's hand off his mouth, "Everyone in there. Now. Move it. You," he pointed at the father then the maid, "Carry her."

"Nice to see you off your cloud and engaging again," Vastra smiled at the Doctor as Evy flashed Jenny's force field to strengthen it.

"I'm not engaging again, my Link and son are under attack!"

"And you know perfectly well Evy could handle anyone trying to harm your son," Vastra added, knowing all too well Evy's protectiveness of her son, "You missed this, didn't you?"

"Oh yes," Evy nodded.

"Shut up," he pouted.

She lifted her eyebrow again.

"I love you," he corrected.

She laughed, giving him a peck and taking his hand to pull him to the study, "Strax, what's the status?"

"They're not going to attack," the Sontaran moved to attention, giving his report, "They made no attempt to conceal their arrival. An attack force would never abandon surprise so easily, and they're clearly in a defense formation."

The Doctor reached out to noogie the potato, "Way, aye, aye. Well done, Straxie. Still got it, buddy," he kissed Strax's head before making a face at the lingering taste.

' _Not kissing you till you wash your mouth...again,_ ' Evy remarked, thinking of all the things he'd 'tasted' over the years, mistletoe varnish, dead sand, that old shed of Amy's, blue grass...urgh, ' _What is with you and putting your mouth on things it ought not be on?_ '

He sent her a small smirk, ' _Is that jealousy I hear?_ '

She gave him a look, ' _Jealous of what?_ '

' _That the only thing my mouth ought to be on is yours,_ ' he grinned.

She rolled her eyes but smiled softly at that, especially when he kissed her anyway, despite what she'd just said.

LJ groaned and covered his eyes, looking more like he was dragging them down his face in exasperation, _You two are SO embarrassing!_

' _You'll be just as bad when you're older,_ ' Evy warned him.

The Doctor nodded, ' _Just you wait boyo. You'll be even worse if you find your Link._ '

They had discussed it at length, the topic of LJ's Link, the possibility, the...rather slim...chance she might be out there. They'd talked about whether they should speak of it around LJ for fear of either depressing him at the notion he may never find her, or making him too firm in the belief that she was out there somewhere. They'd decided to speak of it, to not speak as though it was as impossible as it seemed, but to not speak as though it was a future to come. No, they would talk about it as a possibility, allow LJ to realize it would be difficult to see happen, but that there was _always_ hope. They had gotten the impression from seeing River and J at different points in their lives, that J was rather distant with women, except River who was more like a favored cousin. But he seemed happy and content, not pining over someone who might not exist, not obsessed with finding her or even hopeless that he never would, but just...ready for it if it should happen somehow. That was what they were striving for.

Hope, realistic hope, but hope nonetheless.

"Sir, please do not noogie me during combat prep," Strax muttered.

"There's something here they want," the Doctor got back to point.

Clara stood up, her eyes wide, "The ice woman!"

"Little else it could be," Evy sighed.

"Why's she so important?" Jenny frowned, not understanding.

"Because she's a perfect duplication of human DNA in ice crystal form," the Doctor stated, "The ultimate fusion of snow and humanity."

The humans stared at him, uncomprehending.

"In order for the snow to survive on Earth, especially in warmer seasons, it needs to evolve," Evy explained, moving to sit down with LJ, simplifying it, "That statue is their blueprint, how they're going to do it, what they need to be."

"When the snow melted last night, did the pond?" the Doctor asked.

"No," Clara answered.

Evy smiled, sensing something coming and bobbed LJ a bit, pointing subtly at the Doctor.

"Living ice that will never melt," he breathed, "If the snow gets hold of that creature on the stairs, it will learn to make more of them. It will build an army of ice. And it will be the last day of humanity on this planet unless..."

And then the doorbell rang, interrupting him.

"Bad!" LJ pouted, huffing, he _loved_ it when his father made his epic speeches, it was the BEST way to learn how to make some of his own.

"Stay here," the Doctor looked at them, staring at Evy meaningfully.

Evy sighed but nodded, knowing he was worried the snowmen might try to attack the room while he was in another part of the house and that he didn't want to take LJ out there to face the main force, but didn't want to leave him alone with the humans and Vastra and Strax should something happen.

The Doctor quickly walked over and gave her a peck, but she pulled him back to kiss him a moment longer before letting him go.

_But I want to go with daddy, I want to see the snowy things!_ LJ squirmed, making the Doctor smile as he stepped into the hallway...only for Clara to follow.

"Oi, I told you to stay in there!" the Doctor turned to her.

"Oh, I didn't listen," Clara stated.

"You're _just_ like Evy. She _never_ listens."

Clara grinned, "It's why you like me."

"Who said I like you?"

"You said I'm like Evy and you like her, therefore you like me too."

"No, no. I don't _like_ Evy, I LOVE her."

"Then you're gonna love me," Clara laughed, being both serious and joking. Joking that he wouldn't really fall _in love_ with her, but serious that he might come to love her _company_ , as a friend.

"No I won't, I..." the bell rang again, cutting him off, "I'll deal with you later," he pointed at her before heading to the door, opening it to see Dr. Simeon standing there with snowmen flanking him.

They stared at each other for quite a while till Simeon spoke, "Release her to us. You have five minutes."

And with that, he turned and walked away.

The Doctor shut the door.

' _Well he's a pleasant one isn't he?_ ' Evy remarked, making him smile.

"We need to get her out of here but keep her away from them," he said out loud, both to her and Clara.

"'ow?" Clara frowned.

The Doctor just plucked an umbrella from a stand, "With this. Do I always have to state the obvious?"

"Yes," Evy called, heading out of the room with LJ, the children's father behind her, "Because I'm the only one who actually knows what's going on in that head of yours."

"Those creatures outside, what are they?" the man asked.

"Bad!" LJ told him.

"They won't harm you or the children," Evy reassured him, it seemed LJ had also inherited the Doctor's bluntness, "We just have to get her," she jerked a thumb at the statue, "Out of here first."

"You, in there, now," the Doctor pointed back at the study as the father left them to their own devices. They stepped onto the stairs, the trio of Time Lords, the Doctor knowing better than to ask Evy to return to the study with LJ this time, two of them against one ice lady was better odds, and LJ had apparently been tugging her hair the entire time _begging_ her to go with his daddy.

"What are you doing?" Clara gasped, just a step behind them, as Evy soniced the force field down.

"Between you and me, I can't wait to find out," the Doctor beamed, flashing the force field back on around them, Clara moving onto the step beside them to get caught in it too, "Right, if you look after everyone here, then we can...Clara!" he cried, noticing what she'd done.

"Dadee!" LJ shouted, pointing at the statue as it swung at them.

They quickly ducked under her arms and ran up to the top of the stairs.

"That wasn't the smartest thing to do," Evy told her, though she couldn't help but smile, Clara was adventurous.

The Doctor nodded, "That was stupid."

"You did it too!" Clara pointed out.

"I'm allowed. I'm good at stupid."

"Because he's an idiot," Evy agreed.

"Oi!" the Doctor pouted.

"My idiot though," she gave him a peck, making him smile. She couldn't help but smile too, it had been quite a while since they'd bantered like this, the Doctor brooding and all.

"That's the way to do it!" the statue shouted, reminding them of the present danger.

"Why does she keep saying that?" Clara remarked, exasperated.

"She's just mirroring at random," Evy shrugged.

"We need to get on the roof!" the Doctor shouted, seeing the statue coming towards them, his son right there, clapping in excitement despite the danger.

"This way!" Clara called, taking Evy's hand and pulling her off, she was the one with the baby after all.

"No, no!" the Doctor ran after them, " _I_ do the hand grabbing. That's my job. That's always me!"

"There!" Clara pointed out a window.

The Doctor moved forward and soniced it open, rushing through and turning to help Evy by taking LJ as he was passed through it before the woman climbed out as well.

"Come on, Clara," Evy turned to her, only to see her stopping halfway out, "What's wrong?"

"My bustle is stuck!" she tugged at her dress.

"Your bustle?" the Doctor stared at her.

"Aren't you happy NOW that I didn't want to wear that wretched dress?" Evy smirked, bumping his hip as she moved to help Clara, pulling her through the window, till they both fell onto the ground beside each other.

"You're going to have to take those clothes off," the Doctor called down to Clara, bobbing LJ...till he realized what he'd said, and his eyes widened, his eyebrows shooting up to his hair line, "I didn't mean..."

"I know," Clara cut in.

"I just..."

"I understand, I do."

"Good...means you can stop _laughing_ now dear," the Doctor rolled his eyes and held out a hand to Evy who was literally rolling in the snow, laughing at him.

"Oh, I haven't laughed that hard in ages," Evy remarked, getting up, tickling LJ's stomach to make him laugh too as she took him back from his father.

"Now, what's the plan?" Clara looked at them.

"Who said anything about a plan?" Evy smiled.

"Well you've got to 'ave a plan," Clara shook his head, "'e took that," she gestured at the umbrella.

"Haven't you guessed he's an idiot by now?"

"No 'e's not. 'e's clever. Really clever."

"So's Evy," the Doctor replied, "She's brilliant at backup plans. She's clever...are you?" he tossed the umbrella to Clara.

"What's his plan then?" Evy asked.

"That's the way to do it!" the statue screeched, appearing in the window.

"Is this a test?" Clara hesitated to ask.

"Yes," they said.

"What will it do to us?"

"Kill us," Evy replied.

"Which I'm not too keen to see happen to my Link and son, so if you could hurry a bit..." the Doctor added.

"That's the way to do it!" the statue turned into bits of snow and blew through the window onto the roof.

"So, come on then. Plan. Do I have one?"

"Oh, I know what your plan is, I knew straight away," Clara tossed him the umbrella back.

"No, you didn't," he returned it.

"Course I did," as did she.

"Show me," once again.

"Why should I?" and her.

"Because we'll be dead in under thirty seconds," one last time, "Do I have a plan?"

"You see this LJ," Evy bobbed the baby, "That's _just_ what your Auntie Donna sounded like when your father's duplicate was created."

LJ laughed.

"Yes, that's what I did too."

"The plan?" the Doctor turned to Clara, seeing the statue starting to reform behind them.

"If we'd been escaping," Clara began, speaking quite quickly, which, to be honest, surprised Evy a bit as the only ones she'd _ever_ heard talk THAT fast were her, the Doctor, and J, "We'd be climbing down the building. If we'd been 'iding, we'd be on the other side of the roof. But no, we're standing right 'ere."

"So?" Evy shrugged, smiling.

"So!" she reached up with the umbrella, hooking it onto something...and pulled the ladder to the TARDIS down, "After you," she gestured at Evy, wanting to get the baby out of trouble first.

"Thank you," Evy nodded, moving up the ladder with LJ.

"After you," the Doctor stepped back to let Clara up as well.

"After _you_ ," Clara laughed, "I'm wearing a dress. Eyes front, soldier!"

"My eyes are _always_ front," he smirked up at Evy as he followed her up.

"Thank you dear," Evy called back down, seeing the image in his mind, those pants made her look fantastic, "But I _will_ let myself fall on you if you don't focus."

He laughed, Clara smiling as she watched them go before seeing the statue fully formed now. She cleared her throat, stepping onto the bottom rung, "I understand you're the previous governess. I regret to inform you the position is taken. Goodnight," she gave the ladder a tap with the umbrella and up she went, the ladder rising up to the platform at the end of the spiral staircase that would take her up to the magic cloud and blue box.

"So you can move your cloud?" she asked as the Doctor helped her onto the platform, "You can control it?"

"No," the Doctor laughed, "No one can control clouds, that would be silly."

"We _can_ control the wind though," Evy smiled, moving to head up the stairs.

"She's following us!" Clara called, watching as the ladder was pulled back down to the statue.

"That's the idea," the Doctor nodded, pushing her towards the stairs after Evy, "Keep her away from the snow. So. Barmaid or governess, which is it?"

"That thing is after us, and you want a _chat_?"

"That's him in a nutshell," Evy called back as she led them up, "The gob that won't stop even as the fate of the world hangs in the balance."

"Well, we can't chat after we've been horribly killed, can we?" he countered.

Evy stopped and turned to him, nearly making them run into her, "Talk like that around your son again, even jokingly, and I _will_ kill you."

"Right," he nodded, wincing, neither of them liked talking about things like that around LJ.

She nodded and continued on.

Clara looked around, starting to move, noticing the height they'd gotten, "'ow did we get up so 'igh so quick?"

"Clever staircase," the Doctor replied.

"It's taller on the inside," Evy added as they reached the cloud.

"What am I standing on, what's this made of?" Clara asked, hesitantly stepping onto it, still a bit wary that she'd fall through it.

The Doctor crouched down, sonicing the cloud to cover the path to the staircase, "Super dense water vapor. Should keep her trapped for the moment," he flipped the sonic in his hand and put it away, moving to join Evy at the doors to the box.

"Do you actually live up 'ere, on a cloud, in a box?"

"Have done for a long time now," he nodded as Evy ran her finger over the lock.

"Blimey, you really know 'ow to sulk, don't you?"

"You should have seen him two bodies ago," Evy laughed, opening the doors to the darkened TARDIS.

"I'm not sulking," he defended.

Evy snorted, making Clara smile and call, "You live in a box!"

The Doctor pouted at being ganged up on by the two women as he followed Evy in, "That's no more a box than you are a governess."

Clara glared, "Oh, spoken like a man. You know, you're the same as all the rest. Sweet little Clara, works at the 'Rose & Crown,' ideas above 'er station," she stormed after them, into the box, "Well, for your information, I'm not sweet on the inside, and I'm certainly not..."

She stopped suddenly when the Doctor turned on the lights to the TARDIS, illuminating her more mechanical look.

"Little..." Clara finished, staring.

"Welcome to the TARDIS," Evy smiled, moving to put LJ on the floor by a small pile of toys.

"It can travel anywhere in time and space," the Doctor threw open his arms, "And it's mine."

"Ours."

"Ours," he corrected.

"But it's..." Clara struggled to find the words, "Look at it, it's..."

"Go on, say it. Most people do."

Clara dashed out of the box, running around it, feeling the walls, making sure it really _was_ as small as it appeared on the outside. She ran back in, pausing a moment, before she said, "It's smaller on the outside."

Evy laughed, "That's a new one."

"Is it magic?" Clara wandered farther in, looking up at the TARDIS, "Is it a machine?"

"It's a ship," the Doctor stated.

"A ship?"

"Wow!" LJ threw up his arms.

Evy laughed, "That's right, wow!" she smiled up at the rotor, "Best ship in the Universe."

"Is there a kitchen?" Clara asked, absently flicking a control.

"Another new one," the Doctor remarked.

"I don't know why I asked that. It's just...I like making soufflés."

The Doctor and Evy paused, looking at each other, "Soufflés?" the Doctor asked.

"Why soufflés?" Evy eyed her, both of them realizing now that Clara sounded rather a bit like...

"Ossy?" LJ called, staring at Clara in what could only be confusion.

"Why are you showing me all this?" Clara countered, not having heard LJ.

"You followed me, remember?" the Doctor shrugged, "I didn't invite you."

Clara gave him a look, "You're nearly a foot taller than I am. You could've reached the ladder without this," she wiggled the umbrella, "And you wouldn't 'ave made 'er jump with a baby in 'er arms. You took it for _me_ ," she lightly threw him the umbrella, "Why?"

Evy nudged him, giving him a smile and a pointed look, nodding at Clara.

He hesitated...when LJ called, "Lara!"

He sighed, nodding, knowing he couldn't say no to his Link AND his son, and walked over to the woman, "I never know why," he held up a key, one to the TARDIS, "I only know who," he opened her hand and gently placed it in, folding her fingers over it.

"What's this?" Clara stared at her closed hand.

"Him," Evy walked over, hugging him tightly around the middle, giving him a peck, "Giving in."

"And listening to you," he nodded, kissing her as well, "Which, it seems, I should always do eh?"

"Oh yes."

Clara sniffled, "Sorry, I don't know why I'm crying."

Evy smiled and walked over to her, hugging her, "That's alright, we know why," she pulled away and put her hands on Clara's shoulders, "Remember this moment Clara. This is _monumental_.You've actually gone and changed the Doctor's mind. Revel in the moment."

The Doctor nodded, tugging Evy back to the console, "And now this is the day. This is the day. This is the day everything begins!"

They spun around and began to work the controls...when Clara screamed.

"LARA!" LJ shouted.

The statue had made its way to the top of the cloud and had grabbed her. It pulled her away, dragging her out of the TARDIS, making her drop the key, and out onto the cloud.

"Clara!" Evy ran after her with the Doctor, "LJ stay here!" she ordered the boy who started sniffling, worried for Clara, "Clara!"

"Get off of me!" Clara groaned, trying to fight the statue.

"Water vapor doesn't stop ice," the Doctor soniced, "I should've realized..."

"Get off!"

"Let her go!" Evy called, "Stop it!"

"Let her go now!" the Doctor tried the sonic but it didn't work on the ice, "Now!"

"Get off of me!" Clara twisted, gasping as the statue hit the end of the cloud and fell back.

"No!" Evy ran to the side, looking over.

"Clara!" the Doctor reached out, but Clara fell, "Clara!"

~8~

The TARDIS carefully materialized around Clara, both the Doctor and Evy knowing that she'd be left in the snow outside the manor where she'd landed till the snowmen were stopped if they didn't bring her inside themselves. The Time Lords looked over sadly as Clara slowly appeared on the floor, her hair spread out like a halo, looking for all the world as though she were just asleep, though they knew different, there was no way to survive a fall like that.

Evy moved to the Doctor's side, hugging him, already knowing he was blaming himself. He hugged her tightly, needing that...

"Oh my God," Evy breathed, pulling away slightly, spotting something over his shoulder, "Theta look..."

He turned, watching as LJ pushed himself to his feet, looking sadly at Clara, before taking a shaky step...and another...and another...before he waddled over to her side...only then losing his balance when he was right beside her hand and plopping down. He reached out with his little hands and took her own, holding it as he'd seen his parents do to make each other feel better or so they'd know they weren't alone. He didn't want the nice lady to feel alone either.

"Bye-bye Ossy," he said quietly.

He knew death. He understood it. He had his parents' knowledge, what they'd learned, experienced. He knew death, what it was, what it meant. It meant the nice lady was going away, would go to sleep and not wake up. It was sad, though he knew it was necessary. It didn't mean he liked it. He was just like his father in that, he hated endings, he'd rather have the story go on forever and ever and ever.

The Time Lords walked over to him, sitting beside him and moving to put him in their arms, hugging him though he refused to let go of Clara's hand. He'd walked. He'd taken his first steps and walked, so he could be with Clara, so she wouldn't be alone.

"Your son," Evy whispered, "Wanting to make people feel better."

"YOUR son," he countered, "Trying and succeeding in doing the impossible."

Among their people, because their minds were so advanced, it usually took them twice as long as a human to learn to walk or talk, and there was LJ, doing it in the same amount of time as a human.

She rested her head against the Doctor's, the three of them taking a moment to mourn Clara.

~8~

Inside the TARDIS, a short while later, LJ sat solemnly in his bouncy chair, more watching his parents work than bouncing. The Doctor was searching with the TARDIS for how far the telepathic field went while Evy soniced the bits of ice statue that they'd 'collected from the ground around Clara.

"Isn't the creature still a danger?" Vastra called as she entered, walking up to them, "It could reform."

"It can't in here," Evy reached out and took the Doctor's hand, "A State of Temporal Grace eh?"

He smiled, kissing her hand before getting back to work.

"Then you should be with Miss Clara."

The Doctor shook his head, "She's going to be fine. I know she is. She _has_ to be."

"Doctor, her injuries are _severe_. That equipment will bring back anyone for a while, but long term..."

"It was my fault."

"OUR fault," Evy corrected.

"I am responsible for what happened to Clara."

"WE are responsible."

"She was in my care."

"She was in OUR care..." Evy pointed a warning finger at him as he moved to open his mouth, "Say I or Me again and will smack you twice for it," she reached out to take his hand, "Doctor, we are in this _together_. Always. WE remember, no I anymore. US not me."

Vastra sighed, "What is the point of blaming yourselves?"

"No idea," Evy turned back to her, "But if it'll keep this dunce from blaming himself entirely, I'd gladly share it."

"None," the Doctor answered, "Because she's going to live," he moved to put the ice chunks in a small box while Evy went to get LJ.

They stepped out into the study to see Clara lying on a table, Strax working on her, a faint red light above her, Sontaran technology having revived her and sustained her, however weak it was.

The Doctor handed the box, a small lunchbox with a schematic of the London Underground to Jenny as he and Evy approached Clara, moving to stand on either side of her.

"Hey," he reached out, placing a hand to her forehead, lightly stroking her hair, "Hello."

"How are you?" Evy asked gently, taking the woman's hand as LJ put his hands on hers too.

"Boo boo," LJ frowned at her, _really_ hating how limited his vocabulary and motor skills were.

Clara gave the boy a little smile, "I'll be fine," she promised the boy before looking at his parents, "They all think I'm gonna die, don't they?"

"Well I know you're going to live," the Doctor smiled.

"'ow?"

Evy turned Clara's hand to reveal she'd put the key in it, "We don't know how, just...who."

"The green lady," Clara breathed, "She said you were the saver of worlds once. Are you gonna save this one?"

The Doctor gave a little smile, "If I do," he glanced at Evy who nodded, smiling as well, before he turned back to her, "Will you come away with us?"

Clara gave a gentle smile, her eyes flickering to Evy and LJ and back to the Doctor, "Yes," she told him, "Bet you need...a governess."

He laughed lightly, nodding, "Well then, Merry Christmas."

Evy squeezed Clara's hand, looking at the Doctor as the man nodded, straightening his bow-tie. He walked over to Jenny, taking the box from her before turning and hugging LJ as Evy came up behind him with the boy, kissing the top of his head as Evy did the same. She moved to Jenny, "I'm trusting you to care for him Jenny," Evy told her, handing the boy over as Jenny nodded determinedly.

"Yes ma'am..." she winced as Evy gave her a look, "I mean, yes Miss Dani..."

"Jenny."

"Right, yes _Evy_ ," Jenny nodded, smiling at them as she held LJ close, the boy tugging on her hair, pulling a bit of it out of her bun as he looked at the new color.

"We'll be right back LJ," she promised the boy, crossing her hearts, squeezing his little hand before she stepped out of the room with the Doctor.

They strode through the halls to the front door, the Doctor opening it to see Simeon still standing there. The man just held out his hand expectantly.

But the Doctor just held up the box, "I have in my hand a piece of the ice lady. Everything you need to know about how to make ice people. Is that what you want?"

"See you in the office then," Evy glared, slamming the door in Simeon's face before they dashed off to the TARDIS.

"So then," Vastra followed them right up to the console, "The Doctor, saving the world again. Might I ask why? Are you making a bargain with the Universe? You'll save the world to let her live?"

"Yes," he nodded, getting to work with Evy, "And don't you think, after all this time and everything I've ever done, that I am owed this one?"

"I don't think the Universe makes bargains."

"It was my fa...ow!" he shouted as Evy whacked him three times, "You said you'd only do it _twice_."

"I lied," Evy countered, "Now, how would you like to finish this thought?"

He sighed, "It was _our_ fault," he turned to her, "Better?"

She smiled and nodded, "Much," she looked at a lever, putting her hand on it and turned to him, "Now, where were we?"

He grinned, putting his hand on hers, "About to save the world."

They pulled the lever and were off!

~8~

The Doctor was sitting at Simeon's desk in the man's office, Evy on his lap where he'd pulled her, his arms around her as they watched the glass globe of snow, the suspiciously _silent_ snow, with Vastra...that is, till Simeon entered.

"You promised us something," Simeon stormed over to them, "Have you brought it?"

"You know, that thing has been quite quiet," Evy remarked, nodding to the snow, "All the while _you_ weren't here. Which makes sense," she shrugged, getting up, "Since we know who he really is."

The Doctor got up as well, holding up the lunchbox to the snow, "Do you know what this is, big fella?"

"I do not understand these markings," the snow finally spoke.

"It's a map of the London Underground from 1967," Evy answered.

The Doctor nodded, "Key strategic weakness in metropolitan living if you ask me, but then I have never liked a tunnel."

"Enough of this," the snow called, "We are powerful, but on this planet we are limited. We need to learn to take human form..."

The Doctor handed Evy the lunchbox as he pulled out his sonic and flashed the snow, making its voice rise in pitch till it sounded like a boy, "The governess is our most perfect replication of humanity."

"What's happening to its voice?" Vastra asked.

"Just stripping away the disguise," the Doctor turned the sonic up.

"No, stop!" the voice cried as he worked, till it became a boy's voice only, "Stop that. Cease, I command you."

"It sounds like a child," Vastra frowned.

"It _is_ a child," Evy told her, "In fact, it's Simeon as a child I'd guess. The snow just used his voice."

"Don't listen to them!" the snow called, seeing Simeon fall back on the desk, shaken, "They're ruining everything!"

"How long has the Intelligence been talking to you?" the Doctor eyed him.

"I was a little boy," Simeon murmured, "He was my snowman. He spoke to me."

"But the snow can't talk," Evy reminded him, "It was just a mirror which reflected what was around it."

"It just reflects back everything we think and feel and fear," the Doctor shook his head at him, "You poured your darkest dreams into a snowman and look, look what it became."

"I don't understand," Vastra cut in.

"The snow," Evy gestured at it, "Is a parasite that fed on Simeon over there."

"The loneliness of a child," the Doctor frowned, thinking on that a moment.

He'd been _such_ a lonely little boy as well…always had been, even as an adult, till he'd met Evy and now she'd given him a family again. But then…his mind drifted to their son, the boy would grow up as truly the last of his kind, no other Time Lord friends, no home planet, with scarcely a hope of finding his Link. He felt, for just a moment, that he was selfish in wanting a family when he knew it would mean condemning his children to even more loneliness than he'd had.

Evy, reading his thoughts, stepped to his side and took his hand, ' _He will NEVER be alone,_ ' she reminded him, ' _He will ALWAYS have us, we promised him. And he will have friends, just human, alien, robotic, everything. And now…_ ' she hesitated, ' _We know it's possible to 'make' a Time Lord._ '

He nodded, they both doubted they would _ever_ go to that extreme of making a Time Lord the way River had been 'created.' They still weren't sure if it was something Kovarian had done to Amy that had made her infertile or just the fact of the mixing of the 'species' within Amy, a human carrying a 'Time Lord' that had scarred her too much to ever have children again. No, they would _not_ do that to another person, _ever_.

' _I just…_ ' he sighed, ' _I wish he could find a love like I have._ '

She smiled, knowing it was his way of saying finding his Link, whichever way that Link would go, such a connection was a meaningful part of their lives. She leaned over and gave him a peck, this time being the one to reassure HIM, ' _We can live in hope,_ ' she reminded him, ' _I found a way out, others might have too._ '

He smiled as well, ' _We just have to find them,_ ' he nodded.

' _Until then, might want to finish up here,_ ' Evy laughed.

He winced, having forgotten he was in the middle of speaking when his thoughts got away from him, "And the sickness of an old man," he continued to explain, "Carnivorous snow meets Victorian values and something terrible is born."

"We can go on and do everything we planned," the snow called.

Evy scoffed, "Marvelous plan, _really_. _So_ brilliant, that is, a world of living statues made of ice. That's so _Victorian_ ," she didn't particularly like Victorian…or Elizabethan either really. Both women having tried to kill the Doctor…

Simeon frowned, "What's wrong with Victorian values?" he rushed forward and grabbed the lunchbox from Evy, moving to open it.

"Ah, ah, ah," the Doctor called, neither he nor Evy moving to stop him, "Are you sure?"

"I have _always_ been sure," he sneered, ripping open the lid…

Only for the memory worm to bite him from inside the box.

"The old switch-a-roo," Evy smiled.

"I'm glad you think so," the Doctor commented to Simeon as the man fell to his knees, "Since your entire adult life is about to be erased. No parasite without a host. Without you, it will have no voice. Without the governess, it will have no form."

"What...what...what's happening?" the snow cried as Simeon sunk further down, the memory worm latched onto him, "What's happening? What did you _do_?"

"Giving you nothing to mirror anymore," Evy replied, waving at it, "Bye!"

"What did you...did you…"

The lights started to fade with the loss of power…

When suddenly they brightened, the snow swirling more than ever as the voice returned, deeper than it had ever been, "Did you really think it would be so easy?"

The Doctor turned to gape at it as Evy scanned the snow, "That's not possible!" the Doctor cried, "That's not even remotely possible, and I know _a lot_ about people doing the impossible," he looked at Evy, "How is that possible?"

"Doctor?" Vastra tensed, putting her hand on her sword, "Evy? What happened?"

~8~

Jenny bobbed LJ in her arms as she paced the room.

"Sno!" LJ cried, pointing out the window, having been able to see out of it each time Jenny passed it.

Jenny turned to see the snowmen growing, popping up larger than before, "They're growing! The snowmen are _growing_!"

"What should we do?" the father gasped, looking at Strax and Jenny, but Strax couldn't leave Clara without her dying and Jenny had to protect LJ…

There was nothing they could do…

~8~

"But you were just Dr. Simeon," the Doctor shook his head as Evy looked at her scan, "You're not real. He dreamed you. How can you still exist?"

"I'm getting an energy transfer," Evy muttered, "Merged with a psychic link…" she spun around as Simeon leapt up, pale, ice all over him, jerky, as though being controlled, "It's _in_ him now!"

"The dream outlives the dreamer and can never die!" the snow cried, its voice echoing out of Simeon, "Once I was the puppet, now I pull the strings! I tried so long to take on human form. By erasing Simeon, you made space for me. _I_ fill him now."

He lunged at the Time Lords, Vastra getting in his way to try and stop him, only for the man to throw her aside, sending her flying.

"Vastra!" Evy ran to help her as the Doctor moved to stop Simeon.

Simeon just grabbed him, "More than snow, more than Simeon. Even this old body is strong in my control!" he shoved the Doctor to the ground, making him cry out in pain as he put a hand to the Doctor's face, "Do you feel it? Winter is coming!" he started to freeze the Doctor, ice covering the alien's skin when…

Simeon was suddenly sent flying across the room and into a wall. He recovered quickly, turning to see Evy fall to her knees, a hand to her head as she wiped a bit of blood from under her nose, clearly she had telekinetically thrown him off the Doctor.

Simeon's face twisted into a delighted grin as he made his way towards her, the woman just kneeling there, weak, "Perhaps I should fill _you_ instead," he reached out to her.

"No!" the Doctor ran at him, tackling him to the side, struggling with him to keep the man away from his Link.

~8~

"Muhme!" LJ shouted suddenly, starting to cry.

"Shh," Jenny tried to calm him, knowing what that meant. The boy was connected to his parents, always had a sense of what they were up to not only as another Time Lord but as their child, and if he was upset, something must have happened, "It'll be alright John-John, they'll be just fine, you know them…" she looked over at Clara, knowing that, no matter what, _that_ woman wouldn't be.

"No, you must fight," Strax called to the governess as he saw the readings start to fade, "Hang on and fight, boy. You can do it."

"Captain Latimer," Clara called weakly and the man ran to her side, "Your children. They're afraid. 'old them."

He swallowed hard and glanced at his children, in the arms of the maid who had woken a short while ago, so afraid, "It's not really my area…"

Clara took a breath, knowing what was coming for her, "It is now."

It would have to be.

She looked up at the ceiling as a single tear fell from her eye, matching the rain that the snow had turned into.

"Lara!" LJ reached for her, squirming in Jenny's arms till the woman brought him closer, allowing the boy to take Clara's hand again, holding it.

Clara looked at him, tears in her eyes, honestly surprised how much more comforted she felt even having a baby there for her.

~8~

Simeon shrieked, arching back in the midst of his epic fight with the Doctor as the snow in the globe turned to rain.

"What's happening?" he gasped, rolling away, struggling to get up.

"Doctor," Vastra called from her place beside Evy, helping her stand, "The globe. It's turning to rain. All of it, the snow, look."

They looked over as the snow melted, becoming a puddle of water in the bottom of the globe as Simeon fell onto his back, dead.

The Doctor moved to Evy, cupping her face in his hands and looking through their Link to make sure she was alright. He sighed in relief to see she hadn't been too badly hurt by what she'd done. He knew she'd been practicing her powers, little things here and there she could do just fine…bigger things, like throwing a human off someone else, too much more effort. He reached out and used a handkerchief to gently wipe the rest of the blood from under her nose, it wouldn't do for LJ to see her in such a state.

"He's dead," Vastra told them, checking on Simeon's body, "What happened?"

"The snow is just a mirror," Evy answered, shaking her head to clear it from the lingering pains. She walked over to a window with the Doctor, looking out at the rain pouring, "It was reflecting Simeon, he wanted snow. So it must be focused on something else now…" she opened the window and they held out their hands, looking at the water that fell onto them.

"There was a critical mass of snow at the house," the Doctor muttered, "If…if something happened there…" he tasted the rain, it was bitter.

"It's salty," Vastra grimaced, "Salt water rain?"

"That's not rain," Evy frowned, "It's tears."

"The only force on Earth that could drown the snow," the Doctor realized, "A whole family crying on Christmas Eve…"

"LJ!" they shouted, running back to the TARDIS, while they knew their son was alright, they could feel it, they didn't like being away from him. They ran to the controls, sending the TARDIS off just as Vastra shut the doors, the box reappearing moments later in the study of Darkover house.

They hurried out, Jenny already at the door to hand LJ to Evy, the two of them kissing his head before they saw Clara lying there, looking so much worse.

"I'm sorry," Strax said softly, "There was nothing to be done. She has moments only."

They nodded, walking to her side, the same places as before, on either side of her, "Hey there," Evy smiled at her, taking her hand, "We saved the world, Clara, you helped us."

Clara smiled at that, "Are you going back to your cloud?"

Evy looked at the Doctor who looked back at her for a moment before giving her a soft smile, "No more cloud," he promised, making her smile a bit too, "Not now."

"Why not?"

They looked back down at her, "It rained," he answered as her eyes drifted closed and her head fell to the side.

Evy gently placed Clara's hand down and moved around the table to the Doctor's side, handing him LJ, knowing he needed his son, the comfort he always felt from him, more than ever, holding him tight as well.

"Run," Clara breathed, her eyes fluttering open just a moment, "Run, you clever boy, you impossible girl. And remember."

As the clock struck midnight, Clara's eyes closed for the last time.

"It's Christmas," Digby sniffled, hugging his father tightly, "Christmas Day."

~8~

The aliens and Jenny stood off to the side in a small graveyard as a man and his children stood before Clara's grave.

"And what about the Intelligence?" Vastra glanced at them, "Melted with the snow?"

"No, I shouldn't think so," the Doctor sighed, "It learned to survive beyond physical form."

"He'll see it again," Evy added, nodding at the Doctor, "In the future and his past."

Vastra and Jenny blinked, not entirely understanding but leaving it up to time travel to explain it.

"Well, we can't be in much danger from a disembodied Intelligence that thinks it can invade the world with _snowmen_ ," Jenny smiled, poking LJ's stomach, making him giggle.

"Or that the London Underground is a key strategic weakness," Vastra smirked at the Doctor.

But he just looked down at Simeon's business card in his hand, "The Great Intelligence. Rings a bell. The Great Intelligence..."

"Tibet in 1935, the London Underground 1975," Evy reminded him of his previous encounters with the Great Intelligence.

"Ah," he nodded, "Right," that had been _ages_ ago.

They looked over as the small family left before stepping up to pay their last respects to Clara, "Doctor?" Jenny called, seeing them staring at Clara's name, "Evy?"

"We never found out her name," Evy murmured, eyeing the 'Clara Oswin Oswald' engraved on the stone, "We never found out what her FULL name was."

"Soufflé girl," the Doctor agreed, "Oswin. It was her," he looked at Evy, "It was soufflé girl _again_."

Evy nodded, "We didn't see her face last time, but you're right, her voice is _exactly_ the same."

"Ossy!" LJ cheered, happy to know Oswin had survived, somehow, in a way...

"What?" Jenny frowned, not having _a clue_ what they were talking about.

The Doctor turned to them, "The same woman, twice. And she died both times. _The same woman_!"

"Doctor, please, what are you talking about?" Vastra shook her head.

"Something happened," Evy tried to explain, "Something that should be impossible…"

"Love it when that happens," the Doctor kissed her cheek.

"But this time it's nothing to do with me," she smiled, "I have to admit," she nudged him, "I can't wait to meet another impossible woman."

"Run!" LJ clapped.

"Right," the Doctor nodded, taking their hints, "You two stay here," he pointed at Vastra and Jenny, "Stay right here. Don't move an inch!" he grabbed Evy's hand and they were off.

"Are you coming back?" Vastra shouted after them.

"Shouldn't think so!"

"But where are you going?"

"Lara!" LJ called.

Evy laughed and nodded, "We need to find Clara! See what's going on!"

If she'd died twice before, she might still be out there a third time…

"But Clara's dead," Jenny shook her head and turned to Vastra, "What're they talking about, finding her?"

"I don't know," Vastra smiled, "But perhaps the Universe makes bargains after all."

~8~

The Doctor and Evy raced around the console as LJ sat excitedly in his bouncy chair, enjoying the bumpy ride.

"Found her," Evy smiled, bringing up information on the governess on the monitor, "Clara Oswin Oswald."

The Doctor ran to her side, putting an arm around her waist, "Watch us run!"

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aww, poor Clara-Oswin :( But how sweet was LJ, walking just so he could get to Clara and be there for her like his parents always were :') I'm so excited for the rest of this series, the Time Lords unravelling the mystery of Clara, the TARDIS's dislike of her, LJ possibly developing a small crush, awwww :)
> 
> Next chapter...the Doctor gets a mini-me, LJ has a new name for Clara, and the TARDIS is jealous of a monastery.


	14. The Bells of Saint John (Part 1)

A monk rode a horse quickly up to a monastery in Cumbria, circa 1207, rushing to the doors, pounding on them, "Wake the abbot!" the monk cried as soon as the door was opened "The bells of Saint John are ringing!"

~8~

The monk stood, waiting in the courtyard, as three old men walked over to him, "We must go to him," one in the middle, the abbot, remarked, turning to head off.

The young monk followed him, grabbing a torch on the way, lighting it as they descended a set of stairs, heading deeper into the dark tunnels, "They call him the mad monk, don't they?"

"They shouldn't. He's definitely _not_ a monk," he glanced at the monk, "He has a woman and a child."

The monk's eyes widened at the notion that the abbot had said _woman_ and not _wife_ , and quickly crossed himself before they entered a room to see a man in a monk's robe, the hood drawn up, standing before a painting of a woman, with a bundle of brown in his arms, like another brown robe bunched up.

The abbot cleared his throat, "Ahem," he winced as the man turned his head to peer at them, though they couldn't see any distinctions in his face save his rather large chin and mouth set in a firm line, the shadow of the hood covering his nose and eyes and the rest of his face, "I'm sorry to intrude, but the bells of Saint John are ringing."

The man smirked, before throwing off his hood to reveal himself a green-eyed, floppy-haired man, and holding the bundle up to show it was actually a boy with brown hair and blue eyes, nearly 1 or 2, round about 18 months old really, in his arms, dressed as a monk as well, "Hear that boyo, time to go see mummy," he winked at his son, before he glanced at the abbot, "We're going to need a horse," he told the man before stalking off into the bowels of the monastery as the toddler in his arms clapped.

"Is that her?" the monk asked, staring at the picture the Doctor and LJ had been eyeing, a portrait of Clara.

"The woman twice dead," the abbot sighed, "And her final message. He was drawn to this place of peace and solitude that he might divine her meaning. If he truly is mad, then _this_ is his madness."

They stepped closer, looking at the message beneath the picture, 'Run you clever boy, you impossible girl, and remember.'

~8~

The Doctor smirked as he heard a telephone ringing in the woods as he and LJ, who was strapped to his front more with bits of cloth than a papoose, stopped the horse by a small cavern entrance. He hopped off, the young monk following them down a narrow path into it, to see the TARDIS stationed in the back, the phone behind the instruction panel ringing.

"Bad!" LJ pointed.

The Doctor nodded, absently patting his son's head, "Too right you are boyo. That is _not_ supposed to happen," he walked over to the panel beside the St. John Ambulance sticker and answered the phone, "Hello?"

"Ah, hello!" a young woman called on the other end, "I can't find the internet."

He blinked, bobbing LJ up and down, "Sorry?"

"It's gone, the internet. Can't find it anywhere. Where is it?"

"The _internet_?"

"Yes, the internet. Why don't I have the internet?"

"It's 1207."

"I've got half past three. Am I phoning a different time zone?"

"Yeah, you really sort of are."

"Will it show up on the bill?"

"Oh, I dread to think. Listen, where did you get this number?"

"The woman in the shop wrote it down. It's a help line, isn't it? She said it's the best help line out there. In the Universe, she said."

He frowned, "What woman? Who was she?" he turned, hearing the door to the TARDIS open to see Evy step out, dressed in her typical western attire though this time in gray pants and jacket, with black boots and a white shirt, "Was it you?" he pointed at her mock-accusingly as she gave him a blank look, "Did you pop out and give someone my number?"

She rolled her eyes, "I went to take a nap," she reminded him.

He pouted, "But the phone was ringing."

"Yes and? You know as well as I do that I can sleep through almost anything," she reminded him again.

"You woke up now," he pointed out.

She smiled, "That's because I heard my little man didn't I?" she smiled at LJ, untangling him from the Doctor's makeshift papoose, having to laugh at his getup. It was fitting, he hated being forced to dress up, but loved looking just like his father…except without the bow-tie.

"Well then how did she get the number?" he wondered, "What woman?!"

Evy gave him a look, "Let's see, who could _possibly_ be on Earth that would have a number to the TARDIS. Oh…I can't think of any really except, well, you know, Sarah Jane, Rani, Sky, Donna and Martha _and_ their mothers, Gwen, Astrid, Madge, Jo…shall I go on?"

He winced, there _were_ quite a few women who knew how to contact them, wasn't there.

"I don't know," the woman on the line called, misinterpreting his words for her, "The woman in the shop. So why isn't there internet? Shouldn't it sort of...be there?"

"Look, listen, I'm not actually...it isn't..."

Evy rolled her eyes and took the phone, "Have you clicked on the wi-fi button?"

"Hang on…" the woman mumbled, "Wi-fi…"

"Just click on the wi-fi and you should see a list of names pop up, probably with one you recognize…"

"It's asking me for a password."

"Is it ok if I go and see Nina?" another girl asked, "You can call her mum."

"Sure," the woman said to the girl, "What's the password for the internet?"

Evy shook her head, laughing at that, as the Doctor watched her, well, actually while he played peek-a-boo with LJ as he sat in her arm.

"RYCBYIGAR123…" she could hear the girl say.

"How am I supposed to remember that?" the woman shouted before the line went quiet.

"Is it an evil spirit?" the monk whispered.

"It's just a girl," Evy told him.

"Hang on a mo," the woman picked up again, "Run you clever boy…"

Evy gasped.

The Doctor turned to her, "What is it?"

"You impossible girl…"

"Doctor…" she looked at him, her eyes wide, hissing, "It's _Clara_!"

"And remember…"

"What?!" the Doctor gaped.

"One…"

"She said exactly what Oswin did."

"Two…"

"And Clara the governess…"

"Three…"

The Doctor grabbed the phone, "What did you say?!" he yelled into it.

"Don't shout," Clara huffed, "Now you've made me type it wrong. It's thrown me out again. What do I do? How do I get back in…"

The Doctor just hung up the phone, turning to unlock the TARDIS only to see Evy had already done that and ran in after her, LJ cheering 'CARA!' on the way…the poor dear, he'd mastered the C sound, and seemed to have foregone calling her 'Lara' like he had in Victorian London because of that, still couldn't quite get the C AND L sound together though, bless.

~8~

"It's just a thing to remember the password, 'run you clever boy, you impossible girl, and remember,'" Clara mumbled into the phone, when there was a fierce banging downstairs at the door, "Hang on!" she turned and started heading down the steps, "Hello? Yes, I hear you…" she squinted, seeing three people outside the haze of the windows, looking more like two brown blurs and a gray blur than anything, "Yep," she called as they started hitting the doorbell as well, "Ah ha," she quickly pulled the door open to see the Doctor standing there, still dressed as a monk, with Evy beside him, LJ in her arms as the baby reached for her, having just finished pushing the doorbell repeatedly, excited, "Hello."

"Cara!" LJ clapped.

"Clara!" the Doctor beamed, "Clara Oswald!"

"Hello?" she eyed them.

"Clara Oswin Oswald!"

"Just Clara Oswald," she corrected, "What was that middle one?"

Evy frowned, looking at her intently, "Do you remember us Clara?"

"No. Should I? Who are you?"

"The Doctor," he pointed to himself, "Evy?" then her, "No? You've got to remember LJ though," he pointed at his son, "THE most adorable baby in the Universe."

_Dad!_ LJ grumbled. He'd been learning quite quickly how to speak, yet sometimes he _did_ slip back into Baby.

"The Doctor?" Evy tried, "Or, what about…Chin-boy?"

Clara blinked, "Chin-boy?" she laughed a moment, before shaking her head, "Doctor who?"

"No, just the Doctor," the Doctor said before holding up a finger, "Actually, sorry, could you start all that again?"

"Could I what?"

"Could you just ask me that question again?"

"Doctor who?"

He grinned, "Ok, just once more."

"Doctor who?"

"Ooh, yeah," he started dancing in place, "Ooh…"

Until he winced when Evy whacked him in the back of the head to get him to stop. Which made LJ giggle.

"Sorry about him," Evy nodded at him, "He's seemed to have developed a fondness for hearing that said out loud."

"Yes," the Doctor nodded, "Thank you."

"Ok," Clara smiled tensely, staring at the two oddly, though she had to admit the baby WAS adorable, his eyes were quite a spectacular shade of blue, before she shut the door in their faces.

"Knew that was coming," Evy sighed, the Doctor could either have three effects on people, they loved him, they tried to kill him, or they didn't know what to do with him and ignored him or slapped him.

"Hey," the Doctor frowned, "No, Clara, please," he started to tap on the door again, LJ helping his daddy by pushing the doorbell once more, "Clara, we need to talk to you. Listen. Please. Please, we just need to _speak_ to you!"

"Why are you still here?" Clara's face popped up on the intercom, "Why are you here at all?"

"Oi, _you_ phoned _me_. You were looking for the internet."

"That was you?"

"Of course it was us."

"How did you get here so fast?"

"We just happened to be in the neighborhood, on my mobile phone," he smiled, looking back at the TARDIS parked behind them.

"When you say mobile phone, why do you point at that blue box?"

"It's actually quite an accurate description really," Evy smiled.

"Ok, we're finished now," she pressed a button and the screen went black.

"Poo," LJ pouted, crossing his little arms.

"Oi, no, don't!" the Doctor pouted too, making Evy shake her head at her boys, before he pushed the button a few times, turning around sulkily.

"Oh," Evy gave a little laugh, "There there," she leaned in and gave him a peck, making him smile.

He took her hand and pulled her to the TARDIS, thinking he figured out what might be worrying Clara about them...their clothes, "Right," he mumbled as he pulled his robes off, "Don't be a monk. Monks are _not_ cool."

"I could have told you that," Evy remarked, following him down beneath the TARDIS console, taking LJ's robe off as well, the poor boy complaining that it was itchy.

' _Why ever did you want to be a monk in the first place?_ ' the TARDIS asked, ' _Or go to a monastery?_ _I'M peaceful enough!_ '

"He just wanted an excuse to dress up," Evy rolled her eyes at him, swearing the TARDIS was pouting at the moment, "Though he could have picked a better costume."

"Oi!" the Doctor frowned, "Why not a monk in a monastery?"

"Because," Evy walked over and held up their son, "This is _all_ the proof anyone needs to know you are most certainly NOT a monk."

He blinked and tickled LJ's chin, "Yeah," he nodded before turning and dashing over to a few panels around the base of the pole that ran to the console above them, opening one and pulling out dozens of clothing items, tossing them behind him…till he found a fez, which he kept on his head.

"No," Evy shook her head, moving over to pluck it off him, "You're _not_ keeping the fez."

He looked up at her, pouting, till she put it on LJ's head instead, the fez falling over his eyes. It fell off his head though when the tasselled end tickled LJ's nose and the boy sneezed, the jerking motion knocking the fez off him.

"Why not?!" the Doctor frowned at Evy.

"Every time the fez shows up we end up in danger, it's like your black tie in your last body."

He paused, considering that, before nodding, that seemed to be true. He returned to digging through the cupboard once more, pulling out two coats, his old tweed one and a purple long one.

"What do you think?" he turned, holding them up to Evy.

' _PURPLE!_ ' the TARDIS shouted before Evy could answer. Ever since they had mentioned painting K9 purple, the box had become obsessed with the color. If the Chameleon Circuit hadn't been blown to all hell, she would have made herself purple. One could only stand being the color blue for centuries before wanting a change.

Evy laughed, "Don't disappoint Sexy dear."

He grinned and nodded, dropping the tweed jacket and rushing off to go change as Evy dug through to find clothing for their son.

~8~

Evy smiled as she stood with LJ, looking at the new and improved Doctor in his new outfit. He was wearing much the same pants and shoes as before though he'd lost the braces. He had a white button up shirt, with a grayish-purple waistcoat with a small pocket watch moving from one pocket to the other, and a long dark purple frock coat. He buttoned the top button of his shirt when he felt it, realizing what he was missing. He turned to the cupboard again and pulled out a small box, seeing a bow-tie inside and grinned, quickly putting it on.

"What do you think?" he spun in a circle.

"Handsome," Evy had to admit, "Possibly even less like an idiot."

"Oi!" he laughed.

_Still with the bow-tie_ …LJ grumbled.

The Doctor just walked over and scooped LJ into his arms, "Bow-ties are cool," he told his son, blowing a raspberry on the boy's stomach, making him laugh. LJ had changed outfits as well, now dressed in a little pair of jeans with a light blue jumper that matched his eyes and had 'Time Baby' written on it, with little white converse sneakers too.

"Come on," Evy laughed, taking the Doctor's hand, "Best not keep Clara waiting."

He nodded, following her out of the TARDIS, right back to the door to the 'Maitland House' as it said on the floor mat, "Clara?" he knocked on the door, shifting LJ to his hip…till the boy started reaching for the doorbell. He laughed and held his son to it, letting him push it repeatedly, "Clara?"

Evy rolled her eyes at them and walked over to the intercom, "Clara?" she called.

"Hello?" Clara replied.

Evy frowned though, she was speaking but there was no one on the image.

"See?" the Doctor stepped beside her, "Look, it's me! De-monked," he spun around to show off his outfit, "Sensible clothes. Erm, can we come in now?"

"I don't understand…" Clara began.

"Could you just open the door?"

"I don't know..."

"Clara…is everything alright?" Evy tensed.

"…where I am," Clara ended as the Time Lords looked at each other, "I don't know where I am. Where am I? Please tell me, where I am! I don't know where I am!"

"Run!" LJ urged his parents on to help the obviously scared woman.

Evy quickly flashed the door with her sonic, the Doctor throwing it open as they ran in, seeing Clara lying on the ground, unmoving, with what looked like a small girl on the stairs, dressed in a little dress, but with her body forward and head backwards, the back carved in like a bowl or a spoon.

"Cara!" LJ squirmed, reaching for her as he spotted the woman, lying there, exactly like the last her had been when she'd...died...after her fall.

_Is she ok mummy?_ LJ asked her, tears in his eyes, scared the girl might have died again, _Daddy what happened?!_

"I don't know where I am!" Clara's voice shouted from somewhere.

Evy knelt by Clara, scanning her, "Clara!" while the Doctor aimed his sonic at the robot.

"I don't know where I am! I don't understand. I don't know where I am! I don't know where I am!"

"Evy," the Doctor called as an image of Clara appeared in the bowl of the head.

"I don't understand! I don't know where I am! Where am I? I don't know where I am. I don't know where I am..."

"Here," he handed LJ to his Link as she remained kneeling, grabbing the sonic in both hands as he flashed the bot, LJ twisting in Evy's hold till he could reach forward and take Clara's hand too, not wanting her to be scared like she sounded in the robot's head.

~8~

In a highly technologically advanced room, a young Asian man sat at a computer, watching a small bar moving as though downloading something… _Clara_.

"I've got a problem!" he shouted, when the bar froze and read 'Error!'

~8~

The Doctor's jaw set as he flashed the sonic, revealing the robot beneath the girl's image, "A walking base-station," he lowered the sonic, leaning closer to examine it, "A walking wi-fi base-station, hoovering up data. Hoovering up people!"

"Up!" LJ called, his arms wide for his father to pick him up despite the fact one hand was still holding Clara's, wanting to be closer, to look at the robot.

"No," he shook his head, his eyes on the robot, "Best keep back from it for now boyo."

"Clara said she was looking for the internet, trying to access the wi-fi," Evy frowned, looking around, "Where's her computer?" it was the only thing she could think of that might give them a clue as to what happened.

The Doctor dashed up the stairs, into a room, looking around till he spotted a laptop that was open and soniced it, grinning as he got the same signal as the base-station. He grabbed it, closing it, and brought it back downstairs, plopping down beside Evy and LJ, next to Clara.

Evy passed LJ to him, the boy having to let go of Clara though he held on to the bitter end, letting him sit on his father's lap and watch him hack into the robot as she got up and used her own sonic on it to strengthen the connection.

"Oh, no, you don't," he muttered, typing fast, "Oh, no, you don't…"

~8~

"It's like someone is trying to reverse an upload," the Asian man remarked as he tried to continue the process, an older woman with short hair and another man behind him, watching.

"Is that possible?" the woman asked.

"If the upload isn't fully integrated yet, in theory, yes," the man sighed.

"Oh, my God," the Asian man gasped, seeing the progress bar dropping, reversing, and began to type as quickly as he could…

~8~

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no!" the Doctor typed faster, "Not this time, Clara, I promise you."

"I might be able to block the signal to the base-station, give you that last little edge…" Evy remarked.

"Lovely," the Doctor smiled, not looking away from his competition.

Evy flicked the sonic, increasing the power and the Doctor beamed, seeing the progress rapidly dropping, right down to 0, right as the base-station clicked, a light shining out of it and at Clara, who took a deep breath moments later, coughing and rolling over.

"Otay!" LJ clapped, laughing at how Clara was ok again.

The Doctor laughed as well, patting LJ's head as he kissed the top of it, "Yes boyo, she'll be just fine."

"More than fine," Evy remarked, scanning Clara to confirm she was completely back, "Whatever it was," she held up her sonic, "I'm reading some sort of information patch, they taught her something."

"What?"

She could only shrug, "Come on," she took LJ back, "Let's get her off the floor."

~8~

The older woman glared out the windows of her office, staring at the London skyline, when the man entered her office, "Well?"

"Our hacker sent us a message," he sighed, pressing a button on a control by her desk, bringing up a single line on a monitor mounted on the back wall…

'Under our protection – The Doctor, Evy, and LJ.'

"I assume they're talking about the girl."

The woman stared at the _names_ though, "Get out. I have to speak to the client," she glanced over, waiting till he left, before moving to the monitor and pressing the right side of it, "Sir, the ones you told me about...they're here. The Doctor, his Link, and his son, they're all here."

~8~

Evy stood with LJ, watching as the Doctor puttered around Clara's room, trying to brighten it up for when she woke up, knowing how alarming it could be and wanting her to feel safe. He gave her some water, some flowers, some Jammie Dodgers, though he took a big bite out of one before placing it with the rest, right on her bedside table, before turning to see Evy with a book open, showing it to LJ, '101 Places to See,' a book that had belonged to Clara all her life and her mother before her apparently.

LJ reached for the book and picked up a pressed leaf, laughing as he waved it at his mummy, fanning her with it. She smiled and took it, placing it back in the book and setting it down.

"Come on," she reached out for the Doctor's hand, "It's almost someone's nap time."

"Muh-me…" LJ whined, pouting that he was too old to need a nap time still.

"You know you're cranky when you haven't napped," the Doctor reminded him, "Come on," he took LJ, carrying the boy himself, smiling, whenever LJ was fussy about going to bed one thing _always_ put him right to sleep, a lullaby from his father.

He _loved_ those moments with his son.

~8~

"You are a godsend," Evy murmured as she sat, with the Doctor stood behind her, massaging her shoulders as she typed on the laptop, working on hacking into whoever sent the half dismantled base-station set up beside them, "I have no idea why LJ still insists on being held by me half the time."

"Because he loves his mummy very much," the Doctor told her, dropping a kiss to the top of her hair, "Just like his daddy does."

She smiled, "He's getting so big!"

"I know," he nodded, a little sad it was happening, but relieved he could see it, he truly didn't think Evy understood the true depth of just how _terrified_ he'd been to lose her and LJ to childbirth.

He stepped before Evy and tugged her to stand, before sitting where she had been, pulling her back down, onto his lap with a laugh, watching her hacking over her shoulder, his chin on her shoulder.

"Hello?" Clara called.

They looked up to see her peeking out of a window but didn't get up, both of them too comfortable, "Hello," the Doctor nodded, "Are you alright?"

"I'm in bed."

"Yes you are," Evy smiled.

"Don't remember going."

"Didn't think you would."

"What did I miss?"

"Oh, quite a lot, actually," the Doctor shifted, getting a small notebook out of his pocket without forcing Evy up, "Um, let's see…"

"Angie called," Evy started, knowing how worried someone with children could be, "She's staying over at Nina's. She said that should be fine and to please not worry like always…"

"I think her exact words were 'for God's sake, get off her back,'" the Doctor had to add, "Also, your dad phoned. Mainly about the government. He seems very cross with them, I've got several pages on that…" he flipped a few, "I said we'd look into it…"

" _After_ LJ's had his nap," Evy explained, "He loves a good government conspiracy."

"We fixed that rattling noise in the washing machine, indexed the kitchen cupboards, optimized the photosynthesis in the main flowerbed, and assembled the quadro-cycle."

"Assembled the what?" Clara shook her head.

"Evy found a disassembled quadro-cycle in the garage."

"I don't think she did."

The Doctor smiled, "I invented the quadro-cycle!"

"What happened to me?"

Evy eyed her, leaning back into the Doctor's embrace even as she continued typing, "You don't remember?"

"I was scared. Really scared. I didn't know where I was," she trailed off a moment, glancing down at her hand, she could have sworn though that, just for a moment, she'd felt someone hold her hand, as though they were trying to tell her it would be alright. It was a comfort, small though it was, it had helped a lot.

"Do you know now?" the Doctor asked.

"Yes."

"Well, then, you should go to sleep, because you're safe now, we promise. Goodnight, Clara."

Clara eyed them a moment, "Are you guarding me?"

"Well, yes. Yes, we are."

"Are you seriously going to sit down there all night?" Clara laughed, smiling.

"Knowing this dunce," Evy nodded back at the Doctor, "He won't let us move from this spot."

"Why would I?" he smirked, "I LOVE this spot," her, on his lap, in his arms, pressed against him…oh yes he loved it, very much so.

"Well, then," Clara nodded, "I'll have to come to you," and then pulled her head in.

The Doctor looked at Evy, confused, but she just shook her head at him and patted his cheek.

~8~

Clara stepped out of the house, in a new outfit, a chair hooked over her right arm and three cups of tea in her other.

"We like your house," the Doctor remarked.

"It isn't mine, I'm a friend of the family," she set down the chair across from Evy, still on the Doctor's lap, and handed them the tea.

"Are you the one who looks after the kids?" Evy asked her.

"Oh yes, you're a governess, aren't you," the Doctor tapped Evy, "Just like..."

And Evy whacked him on the back of the head, quite a feat since she was sitting in front of him.

Clara laughed at that, Evy had done it so easily it made her think the woman had _lots_ of experience slapping the man from every sort of direction and angle, "Just like what?"

"Just like..." he began as Evy pointed a warning finger at him, "We thought you probably would be," he took a sip of the tea only to spit it back into the cup and set it down.

"Are you going to explain what happened to me?" Clara eyed him oddly for the action, she hadn't missed it.

"There's something lurking about in the wi-fi," Evy explained, tapping away at the computer, "The whole world seems to run on it, it's literally everywhere. So imagine what would happen if something got inside it, started harvesting human minds, pulling them out of their bodies, and uploading them."

"Imagine that," the Doctor murmured, "Human souls trapped like flies in the World Wide Web, stuck forever, crying out for help."

"Isn't that basically Twitter?" Clara joked into her tea, pausing when she saw the Time Lords staring at her, "What's that face for?"

"A computer can hack another computer. A living, sentient computer...maybe that could that hack people. Edit them. Rewrite them."

"Why would you say that?"

"Because only hours ago you were asking us how to find the internet like it ran away from you," Evy reminded her, though she very much agreed with the woman's spot on thoughts on Twitter, rubbish, "And now you've made a joke about Twitter."

Clara blinked, as though just realizing that, "Oh. Oh. That's _weird_. I know all about computers now in my head. Where did that come from?"

"You were uploaded for a while," the Doctor shrugged, "Wherever you were, you brought something extra back. Which I very much doubt you're going to be allowed to keep."

The Time Lords looked around, tense, feeling an electricity in the air, to see a figure standing across the street, under a lamp. Evy slowly shut the laptop and stood, tugging the Doctor up with her as they saw the man's head turning around, a base-station!

"You and us, inside that box, now," the Doctor ordered.

Clara scoffed, "I'm sorry?"

"Just get in there!" Evy turned and grabbed her hand, pulling her up as the Doctor opened the doors to the TARDIS.

"All of us?"

"Trust me, you'll understand once we're in there," the Doctor added as he struggled to find the key.

"I bet I will!"

"Clara, please!"

"What is that box, anyway? Why do you _have_ a box?"

"Clara!"

"Is it like a snogging booth?"

"A…what?!" the Doctor turned to her, forgetting the key as he stared at her.

"Is that what you do, you bring a booth? There's such a thing as too keen."

Evy had to laugh at that, "At some points, yeah, I suppose it is," she nodded…before she noticed all the lights coming on around the houses, "But you may want to look at that," she nodded to the side.

Clara turned around, frowning as she saw the lights coming on, "What's going on? Is the wi-fi switching on the lights?"

"No," Evy sighed, "The _wi-fi_ is making the _people_ turn the lights on."

"What _is_ that thing?!" Clara gasped, finally spotting the base-station when she turned to look at the lights across the street doing the same.

"A walking base-station, you saw one earlier," the Doctor reminded her.

"I saw a little girl."

"Must have taken an image from your subconscious, thrown it back at you. Active camouflage…" he smacked his forehead.

"Oi! Stop that!" Evy took his hands in her own, pulling them from his head to keep him from doing that again.

"They could be everywhere," he breathed.

"So we'll keep an eye out then," she squeezed his hands, calming him, being rational.

"Doctor!" Clara glanced at them, "Evy…" she pointed towards London where the lights were going OFF in patches, "What's going on? All our lights are on, everyone else's off. Why?"

The Time Lords, however, were looking up, "Planes have wi-fi now," Evy murmured.

"I'm sorry?"

"We must be one hell of a target right now," the Doctor swallowed, seeing the plane falling out of the sky, headed right for them, "You, me, Evy, box, now!" he grabbed Clara's hand and pulled her to the TARDIS, Evy running her finger down the lock to get them in. For having so many keys to the box, the Doctor really was rubbish at using them or even being able to find them.

Clara gasped as she saw the inside of the ship, the largeness of it, the Time Lords hurrying past her to the console, as she stared in awe.

"Yes, it's a spaceship. Yes, it's bigger on the inside. No, we don't have time to talk about it."

"But...but...but...it's..." she slowly made her way closer to the console.

"Clara, really _not_ the best time," Evy told her, rushing to a side control panel as the Doctor focused on the main controls, "Short hops are difficult for the Doctor…"

"Oi!" he turned around, pointing at her like he was going to say more, before turning back to the controls, knowing he couldn't argue.

"Bigger…" Clara breathed, "On the inside. Actually _bigger_."

The Doctor pulled a lever and the TARDIS sparked, making him jump back. He grinned, grabbing Evy's hand and pulling her to the doors, "Right, come on!"

"Are we going back out there?" Clara followed.

"We've moved. It's a spaceship, we flew away."

"Away from the plane?"

"I wish," Evy sighed, throwing the doors open, stumbling out with the Doctor, revealing they were now _on_ the crashing plane, in the middle of the aisle as they made their way to the cockpit.

"How did we get here?" Clara stumbled into a wall, staring around, shocked.

"It's a ship, we told you, it's all very science-y!" the Doctor called as he helped keep Evy steady, battling the turbulence.

"Is this the plane, the actual plane?" she frowned at the passengers slumped in their seats, "Are they all dead?"

He quickly scanned them with his sonic, "Asleep, switched off by the wi-fi, never mind them!"

Evy flashed her sonic on the door and they ran into the cockpit, the Doctor crashing into the back of her as a bout of turbulence hit.

"What is going on?" Clara asked as the two Time Lords flashed their sonics over all the controls, "Is this real? Please tell me what is happening!"

"I'm the Doctor, that's Evy, we're aliens from outer space. We're 1,000 years old. We've got two hearts. And we can't fly a plane, can you?"

"No!"

"Learn something new every day," Evy smiled, flashing the sonic to get the power back against the wi-fi as the Doctor pulled back on the controls, Clara falling back into the wall as they all screamed, watching the tops of the houses get bigger and bigger...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now we have Clara the Original :)
> 
> Lol, I love how LJ is such a daddy's boy, with bits of Evy in him :) Eventually I think he'll manage to get 'Clara' right instead of 'Lara' or 'Cara' :) I'm really excited for the episodes to come, I really enjoyed watching and writing them, especially with LJ in it and J popping up ;) AND! How Clara's a nanny so she's good with children, and LJ's a child :)
> 
> Next time...LJ is quite cross about missing an adventure. Someone's sweet tooth makes an appearance. The Doctor takes something VERY personally :)


	15. The Bells of Saint John (Part 2)

Clara panted, seeing the plane only _just_ managing to skim the tops of the houses, soaring over them instead of crashing into them in a fiery disaster.

The Doctor laughed in relief and turned to kiss Evy quickly, "Do you think a victory roll would be too show-offy?" he asked her.

She whacked him on the back of the head, making him wince.

"Thought so…"

"What the hell's going on?" the pilot to the right groaned, coming around.

"We're just blocking your wi-fi," Evy said as they resumed flashing the controls with their sonics, "And now you're waking up."

"Tell you what," the Doctor patted the man's arm, "Do you want to drive?" before pulling Evy out after him, Clara rushing out after them.

~8~

Clara stood in the TARDIS, still stunned, and sipped the last of her tea that she'd somehow managed to keep hold of and keep from spilling despite all that running about, "Ok," she watched as the aliens ran around the console, working the controls, "When are you going to explain what the hell is going on?"

"Hmm…" the Doctor hummed, "I don't know, breakfast?" he looked at Evy.

"I could eat," she nodded.

"Brilliant, you go get LJ and I'll prepare the transportation," he grinned.

Evy shook her head and rolled her eyes, knowing exactly what he meant by 'transportation,' but decided to let him have his fun, he did love showing off for the new companions while, at the same time, trying to appear 'cool' to their son, not that he needed to. Despite all their teasing, LJ thought the world of his father, aspired to be just like him when he grew up...though with better dress sense, obviously.

The Doctor cheered silently when Evy turned around and walked off, celebrating the fact that he got to use the 'transportation' he wanted this time, punching the air, triumphant, thrilled…

"I can see you!" Evy shouted to him as she stepped out of the room, not even needing to turn back to know what he was doing.

"Right," he laughed, spinning around and pulling a lever, landing the TARDIS with a jolt and rushing to the doors.

"I ain't waiting till breakfast," Clara commented, following him. She was starving! Who knew that surviving a plane crash could make one so hungry?

"It's a _time machine_. You never have to wait for breakfast," he grinned and stepped out into the _daylight_ , to the sound of applause, "Thank you."

Clara frowned and stepped out after him, squinting at the change in light, to see they were on the south bank of the Thames, in the morning, with people around them.

"Thank you!" the Doctor waved, "Yes, magic blue box," he pulled the fez he'd snatched off the floor when Evy had been dressing LJ from his jacket and held it up, "All donations gratefully accepted," he laughed as people began to put their coins into it, "Roll up, roll up, give us your dosh. Pennies, pounds, anything you've got," he handed it to Clara on his way back to the TARDIS, "Keep collecting, we need enough for breakfast. Just popping back to the garage," he dashed back into the TARDIS.

"Garage?" Clara spun around but he just disappeared within the box.

~8~

The Doctor grabbed the laptop off the console and hurried down the stairs, going left…

' _Other way,_ ' the TARDIS called in his mind.

He sighed, stopping, before heading the other way, "This way."

' _You may want to hurry too…'_ Evy added.

' _Why?_ ' he frowned, about ready to run, thinking something was wrong.

' _YOUR son is quite cross with us for not taking him on the crashing plane._ '

He laughed, shaking his head, oh his son would grow up to be quite the handful wouldn't he?

~8~

"So, this is tomorrow, then?" Clara wondered as she shook the fez to collect more money, "Tomorrow's come early."

She turned, hearing the roar of an engine, to see the Doctor drive out of the TARDIS on a motorbike, a small pod attached to the side, Evy and LJ already sitting in it, the little boy dressed in exactly the same protective gear as his father, with a helmet, goggles, and gloves, clapping. Evy shook her head, squeezing LJ a bit in laughter, happy to see their son so happy, and snapped her fingers, shutting the doors to the TARDIS without having to get up.

"No, it came at the usual time," the Doctor said, "We just took a shortcut," he smiled and waved as the people applauded and took photos, "Thank you, thank you. Tomorrow, a…" he pointed at LJ.

"Cah-mal!"

"Yes, yes, a camel it is then," the Doctor laughed, that had apparently been the first word to pop into his head.

LJ certainly seemed to want the strangest creatures, ravens of death, panthers, space monkeys. He wondered briefly if J had any sort of pet hidden away in his TARDIS. He doubted it though, he was fairly certain River would whack him for it if she went with him for an adventure and came back to find her shoes chewed up by some space dog.

"Come on Clara, on you get," Evy gestured her over to the pod as she stood and got out of it.

Clara ran over and put on a helmet that Evy had given her, taking the woman's spot in the pod...blinking when LJ was deposited in her lap. She looked up at the woman questioningly as Evy put on her own helmet and got on behind the Doctor, "He likes sitting on people's laps."

Well, that and he'd been shouting 'Cara!' since he'd woken up, wanting to make sure she was ok from her fright earlier, having been asleep when his parents had talked to her after.

He really was just adorable.

Clara laughed and shifted the boy a bit, letting him wiggle till he was comfortable, before wrapping her arms around him to keep him secure. She always had a soft spot for kids, babies especially, they were so cute!

The Doctor reached over and took the fez that she'd set beside her, putting all the money into his pocket before placing it on LJ's head, on top of his helmet, the baby grumbling about how fezzes were NOT cool.

Evy laughed at the Doctor's pout and took the fez off her son, placing it on another boy's head and kissing the Doctor's cheek, "Come on," she laughed, urging him on as she gave his stomach a pat, winding her arms around his waist from behind, "I'm hungry!"

The Doctor laughed and revved the bike, driving off as a girl posed before the magic box, someone taking a picture of her…

~8~

"What's happening?" the man asked as he came to the Asian man's desk.

"Blue box," he pointed at the picture of the girl and the telephone box as it popped up on his screen, "South Bank! Definitely wasn't there five minutes ago," he typed.

"Are we _sure_ this time? Earl's Court was an embarrassment."

"Yes sir."

~8~

The Doctor grinned widely as LJ clapped and laughed at the travel on the motorbike, their small group driving on the motorway towards Westminster Bridge.

"If you've got a flying time machine, why are we on a motorbike?" Clara yelled up to them.

"We don't take the TARDIS into the middle of anything dangerous," Evy told her.

"Because it's made of wood?"

"Wow!" LJ shouted, sounding almost offended.

"Yes, that's right boyo," the Doctor laughed, "Because it's the most powerful ship in the Universe and we don't want it falling into the wrong hands," he moved as though he were about to take his hands off the handlebars when Evy called…

"Hands on the bars Doctor, eyes on the road."

He sighed, "Backseat driver," he mumbled.

"What was that?" she asked, and he SWORE he could _hear_ the eyebrow raise in her voice.

"I love you?" he tried, hoping she hadn't heard that first thing he'd said.

Evy laughed, she really loved when he did that, try to get out of her 'eyebrow of doom' by saying he loved her. It was amusing and, as much as she hated to admit it, it really DID get him out of trouble. She leaned in and gave him a peck on the cheek, squeezing him round the middle, seeing him grinning in the side mirrors.

~8~

The small trio watched as the motorbike and its passengers appeared in a photo before the Horse Guards Parade, "I do love London," the woman remarked, "So many cameras."

~8~

LJ pointed up as they drove under the Admiralty Arch, Evy smiling at how much he loved architecture, he was always pointing at buildings and things and going 'WOW!' Not that they were nearly as impressive as the TARDIS, but to see human ingenuity and engineering at its finest _was_ quiet a sight to behold.

Who knew, one day her little boy might be 'the Architect' instead of 'the Captain.'

She doubted it though, LJ loved his 'Uncle Jack' FAR too much to change that name.

~8~

The Doctor sat with Evy on his lap, LJ on her lap, across from Clara at a small rooftop café that overlooked St. Paul's Cathedral, a lovely view. Evy had tied to ask for a highchair for LJ but the Doctor had simply said they didn't need one and pulled her onto his lap with LJ too. He seemed to LOVE doing it even more than usual, having his entire family in his arms, the love of his life and his pride and joy safe and secure in his arms, what more could a man ask for?

"So if we can travel anywhere in time and space," Clara began, finishing up her meal as she watched Evy pointing out things to LJ on the laptop, as though the baby could understand what she was saying, "Why did we travel to the morning? What's the point in that?"

"Whoever's after us spent the whole night looking for us," the Doctor replied, "Are you tired?"

"Yes."

Evy laughed at the Doctor's pout, "Just imagine how tired THEY are," she remarked, turning and leaning back to give him a peck, "They spent the whole night looking for us and we skipped right to the day."

"They've got to be close," the Doctor leaned forward to rest his chin on Evy's shoulder, watching her work, slowly, as LJ wanted to learn how to hack from his mother much like he wanted to learn the 'art of epic speechery' from his father, "Definitely London, going by the signal distribution."

Evy nodded, "I should be able to hack the lowest level of their operating system easy, can't wait to get to the better controls. Just have to find their physical location, oh," she smiled, as she made it to the next level of controls, already able to see the arrogance in the system, whoever had designed it clearly thought no one would be able to crack it, "I love it when they think their security's 'too good.'"

"Are you really aliens?" Clara looked at them, they'd mentioned it on the plane, but she wanted to really _know_.

"We are, yes," the Doctor nodded, "Ok with that?"

"Fine, yeah. I think I'm fine."

"Oh, good," he shifted LJ out of Evy's lap and more onto his other leg, "Because this little guy is _the_ most adorable alien you'll ever meet."

_Dad!_ LJ whined, dragging out the 'dad' as he spoke, _I want to be cool not adorable!_

Clara laughed, "I don't doubt it," she tapped LJ on the nose as he laughed, "What, is he 1,000 years old too?"

"No," Evy smiled, turning to run a hand through LJ's hair a moment, "Just 18 months, round about."

Time Lords, despite having _such_ a long gestation, aged at about the same rate as a human did, till they reached about 25 years old. Then they just...stopped aging. Well, they could _choose_ to stop aging really. They could suspend their regenerative energy only in their first body to allow themselves to live out a full life, though they did age VERY slowly at that point, unable to stop it completely. They'd grow old and 'die' naturally of old age at around their 700th year, between 600 and 700, then regenerate and be unable to help staying how they were, immortal. She could tell, given that J was 237 the last time they met him, and still looked barely 25, that he had foregone that option and opted to stay immortal. It made sense in a way, she supposed. River would have a slightly longer life cycle than most humans, and they knew she wouldn't be an old woman in the Library, and with Jack being his immortal godfather, he'd probably want to remain young-ish.

Clara smiled at the affectionate move, "What was his first word? If you don't mind my asking..."

Evy's lips pursed, which made Clara frown, worried the adorable boy's first word had been a bad one, "Run," she ground out.

Clara blinked, "What?"

"Run!" LJ cheered with a laugh.

"Yes," the Doctor winced, knowing Evy wasn't particularly happy about that, she'd been hoping for a more traditional 'mama' or 'dada' from their boy, because, to her, that was just the most special thing a parent could hear, their baby, calling out to them for the first time...and LJ had said 'run' instead, "He, um, said 'run,' that was his first word."

Clara shook her head, not even about to ask why that might be, she could guess, she'd only just met them and ended up running from a weird robot thing and through a crashing plane, "So what happens if you _do_ find them? What then?"

"We don't know. We can't tell the future, we just work there…"

"And occasionally mess 'there' up," Evy added.

The Doctor winced, "Yes…"

"Or blow it up."

"Right…"

"Or completely erase it."

"Ok..."

"Or..."

The Doctor leaned over and kissed her to get her to stop, LJ huffing at them and their 'cooties,' "I think she gets the idea."

"You don't have a plan do you?" Clara guessed, feeling like that might be a common occurrence for the man.

"You know what I always say about plans?"

"What?"

"NEVER have one," Evy cut in as he went to answer.

"Course not," he grinned, tickling LJ's stomach, "This one here needs to learn how to wing it early on, doesn't he?"

"That's _not_ the best lesson to teach our son dear," Evy rolled her eyes playfully, though she supposed it was probably a good thing to learn how to think on one's feet, "Luckily, when you try to 'wing it,' it just means I get to teach him how to come up with backup plans."

"People always have plans," Clara nodded, even if they were backup ones.

"Lara!" LJ tugged on his daddy's jacket excitedly, reminding him of how Clara-Oswin had figured out the plan with the umbrella. It seemed that now, having met a third 'Clara' LJ had taken to calling Oswin 'Ozzy,' Clara-Oswin 'Lara,' and this Clara 'Cara.' Which was a nice and simple way to differentiate between the women.

"Yes," the Doctor nodded, "Yes, I suppose they do. So tell me, how long have you been looking after those kids?"

"About a year, since their mum died," Clara shrugged.

"Ok. But why you? Family friend, I get that, but there must have been others. Why did it have to be _you_?"

"I have to admit," Evy nodded, "You don't strike us as the nanny type."

Clara just smirked, deciding to change the subject and reached for the laptop, closing it and pulling it to her, "Gimme!"

"Sorry, what?" the Doctor yanked it back.

Clara leaned forward, "You need to know where they physically are. Their exact location."

"Yes but…"

"I can do it," she grabbed the laptop again, holding it back so he couldn't take it.

"Evy needs that," he frowned, "She can hack anything and…"

"She hacked the lower operating system," she countered.

"And I was an inch away from cracking the top system too when you shut down the laptop," Evy sighed.

Clara blinked, "Really?" she opened it again but the computer was rebooting, all the information lost, "Sorry…" she smiled bashfully.

"Hah-ck!" LJ called, trying to reach for the laptop as well.

"It's alright," Evy laughed, tugging LJ back onto his father's lap, the boy was rather eager to try the things he learned wasn't he? She shook her head and got up, stretching a moment, "We should have their physical location in about five minutes," she told the Doctor, "Why don't you go and get us coffee?"

"You're not coming with?" the Doctor frowned, looking up at her.

"You go with your son dear, quality father-son time," she smiled, pulling up a chair beside Clara, "Give us some girl bonding. Besides, they uploaded her and gave her computer skills, I want to see how much she knows."

"I have insane hacking skills," Clara nodded.

"We're from space, and the future, with two hearts, and...27 brains," the Doctor countered, trying to make them seem interesting.

"And I can find them in under five minutes, plus photographs," Clara remarked, "27?"

"Ignore him," Evy shook her head, though she was smiling fondly at him, "He doesn't like being shown up by girls."

"Bad!" LJ agreed.

The Doctor laughed, "Not true boyo," he tickled LJ a moment before looking at Evy, "I'll have you know I have no problem with that," he leaned forward and kissed her, ignoring LJ covering his eyes and whining about them, "If it's YOU," he winked at her.

She smiled up at him, "Go get the coffee dear, as soon as you get back, we'll be ready to go."

He sighed but nodded, "Good luck."

"Won't need it!" both girls called back, laughing.

The Doctor nodded, "Come on boyo," he turned to head in but stopped, glancing back at Clara as she typed away, wary, Evy watching her.

He wasn't…thrilled to leave his Link with the girl, given that they didn't know anything about her or how she was possible, whether she was friend or foe...for all they knew she could be like the Nestenes were with the Pandorica, something that believed it was real till activated and tried to kill you, or like Darla the Dalek-puppet, whose memories of her real life were only activated to infiltrate something. The truth was, they didn't know, and that worried him quite a bit.

"Coffee dear," Evy called which made Clara look up and frown, seeing him standing there.

"Right yes," he nodded, heading off with LJ.

"Why does he keep looking at me like that?" Clara asked Evy once the Doctor had left.

"He thinks you being a nanny is a little too Victorian in value for the common era," Evy lied easily.

She was not about to tell the girl what he'd just been thinking. IF she was operating under the delusion of being normal just to get to them...she was NOT going to trigger her real mission or objective. Though she doubted Clara was like that. She'd scanned the girl after the base-station had returned her mind to her, 100 percent human. No hint of living plastic within her or Dalek nanogenes, just...human.

Which didn't make sense anyway.

"Victorian?" Clara scoffed.

Evy shrugged, "You're a young woman, you're gorgeous, he thinks you should be out dancing and having a blast, seeing the world."

Clara nodded, smiling a bit sadly, "I will do one day, see the world, just…have to find the time."

Evy smiled.

~8~

The Doctor walked along the coffee bar, smiling at the pastries and other treats, stopping before a small plate of cookies and reached out to take one, holding it up to the man behind the counter who nodded. He grinned and held it to LJ, "Only if you don't tell your mum," he whispered, letting the boy take it and munch away on the gooey, chocolate chippy goodness.

"YUM!" LJ cheered, _very_ happy with his sweets, he rather loved sugar he'd learned.

The man behind the counter laughed, "What can I do for you?"

"Three more cappuccinos over there, please," he requested.

"One moment, sir," the man nodded, moving to the machine to get the order ready…when he stood up suddenly, "You realize you haven't the slightest chance of saving your little friend?"

"Sorry, what?" the Doctor looked at the man, tensing, having heard a strange electrical buzz just before the man had spoken.

"I said one moment, sir," the man smiled, having flashed blue a moment, before turning to continue the order. The Doctor, however, stood and stared at him, watching intently. LJ looked up at his daddy, and then at the man, his little face scrunching as though to mimic his father's serious expression. The man stopped and turned, "I said, there is not the slightest chance you can save your little friend. And don't annoy the old man, he isn't, in fact, speaking."

The man smiled and went back to work.

The Doctor leaned forward, watching him closely, when a woman spoke behind him, " _I'm_ speaking. Just using whatever's to hand," he spun around, to see a black waitress glance out at the patio area, "Oh, she's rather pretty, isn't she? Do you like her? I can make her like you too, if you want."

The Doctor leaned in, glaring at her, "The _only_ woman I want is my Link and you're nowhere near strong enough to influence her," he warned whoever was speaking threateningly. They wouldn't have had to influence Evy in the first place, she already loved him.

"You alright, sir?" the waitress asked, pulling away suddenly at his nearness.

"Um, yes," he stepped back, "Yes, fine."

_Daddy what's wrong with them?_ LJ asked, slipping into Baby so that whoever was making the people talk, and probably listening as well, wouldn't know they were communicating.

' _Nothing,_ ' the Doctor said to the boy silently, ' _I'll deal with it, you just…finish your treat, we need to go see mummy in a minute._ '

It probably wasn't the best move, to stand there, with his son, surrounded by a potential army, till the boy finished eating his cookie...but when it was that or face Evy and show her the boy having sugar and treats...he'd pick the army.

Evy, for some reason, was convinced sugar was bad for children.

~8~

"Very good," Evy smiled, watching Clara at work, "I'm almost impressed."

"Almost?" Clara scoffed, "I am flipping _amazing_!"

Evy laughed, "Oh not another one!" she shook her head, "Don't tell me your ego's as big as the Doctor's!"

They laughed, right when the Doctor came dashing up to them, "You ok?" he called, sounding just a bit frantic.

"Fine," Evy nodded, before looking over, frowning at LJ.

"Sure, setting up stuff, need a username," Clara remarked.

"She's learning fast," he remarked to Evy.

"Clara Oswald for the win! Os-win!" she grinned and typed that in as her username.

The Time Lords tensed, recalling the Oswin from the _Alaska_.

"Give me my son dear," Evy cut into his thoughts.

"Why?" he frowned.

"You take him in there again, you'll give him another cookie," she remarked, though they both knew there was slightly more to it than that, she knew what had happened inside and she knew he really wanted the baby out there with her and not there when he went back in to face whatever it was, they just didn't want Clara to know.

"How did you…"

"Mother always knows," Evy smiled, holding out her arms.

The Doctor sighed, "Sorry boyo, looks like mummy caught us again," he kissed LJ on the head and handed him over to Evy, turning to go in, "Let me just get those coffees…"

_Daddy's a very bad liar_ , LJ commented.

' _That he is,_ ' Evy projected to him, pulling a napkin out of his pocket to wipe the bit of chocolate and crumbs off the corner of her son's mouth, and those boys thought they were _so_ sneaky.

~8~

"Now I want you to take a look around," the waitress said, walking right up to him as soon as he entered the café area again, "Go on. Have a little stroll. And see how _impossible_ your situation is."

The Doctor smirked, "I happen to love impossible," he countered, thinking on Evy.

The woman eyed him, "Then go on. Take a look, I do love showing off."

There was a crackle of electricity and the waitress walked off, the Doctor eyeing the room in suspicion, when a little girl stood up, "Just let me show you what control of the wi-fi can do for one. Stop!" she shouted and everyone in the café froze.

"I saw what you can do last night," he frowned, "And, by the way, I'm not very fond of anyone trying to send a crashing plane at my Link thank you very much."

They really needed to be careful, whoever it was that was trying to speak to him through a little girl. He was NOT the same man he had been after the war. He was not his 9th self, or even his 10th self. He was his 11th self, but even then, he was not the same playful person who had travelled with a ginger girl from five minutes ago, no, he was a father. And this...person...had tried to kill the mother of his son, his Link, never mind that they'd tried to kill him as well, he would NOT stand for them trying to go after his family. He'd seen what that did, he'd seen how it had hurt Amy to lose her child, to Brian to lose his son, he would NOT let it happen.

This person was treading on very dangerous ground at the moment, threatening his family was something he would take very personally.

"And clear!" the girl continued, not seeming to care, and everyone just walked out of the room, not even noticing they were all leaving.

The Doctor shrugged, preparing for anything, knowing that wasn't it, not by a long shot...

And then a TV flickered.

"We can hack anyone in the wi-fi, once they've been exposed long enough," the news reporter began.

"So there's one of your walking base-stations somewhere close."

"There's _always_ someone close. We've released thousands into the world. They home in on the wi-fi like rats sniffing cheese."

~8~

Evy smiled as the photos of people working for the mysterious source of the wi-fi monster appeared on the computer, Clara doing beautifully, LJ enraptured by the magnificent hack going on and how quickly Clara was typing away, almost as fast as his parents could...

Almost.

~8~

The Doctor strode right to the TV, "I don't know who you are or why you're doing this but the people of this world will not be harmed, they will not be controlled, they will not be..."

"The people of this world are in no danger whatsoever," the reporter cut in, "My client requires a steady diet of living human minds. Healthy, free range, human minds. He loves and cares for humanity. In fact, he can't get enough of it."

"It's obscene. It's _murder_."

"It's _life_. The farmer tends his flock like a loving parent. The abattoir is not a contradiction. No one loves cattle more than Burger King."

~8~

"Well done!" Evy cheered as Clara snapped her fingers, sorting through the photos on a face recognition page, locating all the workers on social networking sites, their names, and where they were right then…the Shard, the building they could see glinting only a short distance away.

~8~

"This ends," the Doctor warned, "Evy and I are going to the end this, today!"

"How? You don't even know where we are."

He scoffed, "You think so? Who's doing this? Who is your client? Hmm? Answer me!"

~8~

Evy looked over when the Doctor walked out of the café, tensing, immediately knowing this man was NOT her Link. Even LJ, who had been squirming and babbling excitedly, quieted, knowing the man was not his father.

"I did it!" Clara cheered, "I really did, I did it. I found them."

"You found them," the 'Doctor' said, his voice flat.

"The Shard. They're in the Shard. Floor 65."

"Clara," Evy began, reaching out to put a hand on her arm.

"Floor 65," the Doctor repeated.

"Are you listening to me, Doctor?" Clara turned, "I found them!"

"Clara stop," Evy cut in.

"I am listening to you," the Doctor repeated once more, "You found them."

Clara tensed, realizing what the repetition meant and looked over in horror.

"Clara…" Evy stood, pulling Clara up with her as the Doctor's head started to turn around like the base-station in the Maitland home had, "Take LJ," she handed the baby to her, "Go find the Doctor, now!" she shoved Clara to the side, pushing her off, moving to follow as the base-station tried to shoot its upload beam at Clara, only for Evy to give her and LJ a chance to make it out...by putting herself in its way...

~8~

"Doctor!" Clara gasped as she ran into the café to see the Doctor scanning around with his sonic, trying to find the base-station, "Doctor the robot thing…"

He spun around, seeing her there, with LJ, but…Evy wasn't…

His eyes widened as she ran to her, grabbing her shoulders, "Where's Evy?!"

Clara looked over her shoulder and back, "I dunno, she was right behind me, she told me to take LJ and run and…"

The Doctor was off, running back to the patio area, only to see the base-station him standing there, with Evy collapsed on the pavement and his hearts stopped, he tensed, a dark, dangerous look appearing on his face...

Now it was personal.

~8~

Evy smirked as she appeared on a screen in the Shard, the Asian man and his supervisor standing before one of them with the older woman, "Oh you poor, poor humans," she shook her head, "You have no idea what you've done, do you? This was the biggest mistake you could _ever_ have made because…" she laughed, "I know EXACTLY where I am…and now…so does the Doctor," she waved at them, "Bye bye."

They exchanged a tense look, "Should we pulp her or keep her as a hostage?" the supervisor asked the older woman, wanting to know if they should eliminate the threat.

"There's no point," she smirked, "She's fully integrated now. She can't be downloaded again. I'm sure he knows that. He wouldn't risk harming his precious Link."

Evy's eyes narrowed at how the woman could know that term.

"I'm not sure he does," the Asian man called from one of the monitors, "He's coming," he moved to the side for them to see the Doctor racing through town on his motorbike, Clara and LJ nowhere to be seen, quickly following his progress as he drew nearer and nearer, faster and faster.

"We could stop him, I suppose," the supervisor remarked.

"Why bother?" the woman smirked, "Could be quite funny."

"Could be quite deadly," a voice called behind them.

They turned to see Evy, smiling on the screen, "Bet you didn't think I could hear you did you? I'm in YOUR system now. This isn't the first time I've integrated my consciousness with a machine. Which means…" she leaned closer, "I can do _this_!"

And suddenly all the monitors before the employees cut off, keeping them from tracking the Doctor, from seeing how close he was.

They looked at each other, frantic, the men and women scrambling around to try and find out how to get the feed back, when they heard something shatter in another room.

"I think that was your office," the supervisor remarked to the woman.

"Excuse me," she tugged on the bottom of her suit, knowing it must be the Doctor, "I believe there's someone to see me," she strode across the Shard, into her office, to see the motorbike on the floor, the window shattered in, and the Doctor at her desk with his feet up on it, "Do come in."

"Download her," the Doctor cut in, not willing to joke or small talk about this.

"Sorry about the draft."

"Download her, back into her body, right now," he stood up.

"I can't."

"Yes, you can," he walked over to her, his body tense.

"She's a fully integrated part of the data-cloud, now. She can't be separated."

"Then download the entire cloud, everyone you've trapped in there."

"You realize what would happen?"

"Yes, I'm well aware, I CAN hear my Link even now you know, those with bodies to go home to would be free."

"A tiny number. Most would simply die."

"They'd be released from a living hell. It's the best you can do for them, so give the order."

"And why would I do that?"

His smirk turned dark, "Because I'm going to _motivate_ you," he stepped past her, "Any second now."

"You ridiculous man. Why did you even come here? Whatever for?"

He smiled, turning to face her, "I didn't."

"What?"

"I'm still in the cafe."

~8~

The Doctor sat on the pavement before Clara as she knelt beside Evy, checking on her, as he held LJ in his arms, the boy pouting angrily at the screen of the laptop set up before them on the ground, having used language the Doctor was _sure_ would have Evy dressing him up in ridiculous costumes till he was 100 but he couldn't fault the boy, LJ was so worried about his mother, as much as _he_ was worried about his Link.

"I'm finishing my coffee," he took a sip of it, trying to ignore how his hands shook, "Lovely spot. You hack people, but me?" he shrugged, "I'm old-fashioned. _I_ hack technology. Here's your motivation," he held out his sonic, "Want to do the honors boyo?"

"Yes!" LJ cheered, grabbing the sonic, though the Doctor still held it a bit, and pushing a button.

~8~

The base-station-Doctor pulled off its helmet, its head jerking a moment before it turned around, the woman cowering back against her desk with a cry of, "No, not me! Not me!"

The monitor flickered on across from her, on the wall, "Told you so," Evy appeared, "Biggest mistake of your life."

And then a bright flash of light struck the woman, reflecting out of the Shard to where the Doctor could see it.

~8~

"Did it work?" Clara asked, worried for Evy. She knew she's just met the woman, but the girl was a mother, a wife of some sort, and, she could tell, probably quite a good friend.

"Let's find out," the Doctor grinned, gently setting LJ beside him so he could bring the computer to his lap and type away, controlling the base-station once more.

~8~

"Put me back!" the woman screamed from a monitor beside Evy's as the Asian man and his supervisor watched, "Put me back! Download me at once! That is an order. That is an order!"

"But she's fully integrated now," the Asian man frowned, "We'll have to download the entire cloud. We can't do that."

"No, we can't," his supervisor agreed.

"Download me!"

Evy sat back on her screen and crossed her arms, "You really should _listen_ to her you know."

And, in another room, the base-station picked up the woman's controller, increasing the supervisor's obedience so the next time the woman shouted, "Download me!"

The supervisor would agree to...

"Do what she says."

The Asian man nodded and went to a screen, downloading all the faces of the data-cloud, which disappeared off the monitors one by one.

"Oh, by the way," Evy called, "Run."

Before her screen blinked out and the men looked at each other in concern as to what that meant.

~8~

Evy rolled over onto her back with a gasp, the Doctor immediately at her side with LJ, helping her sit up as she woke, "There're my boys," she smiled, "Best way to wake up."

LJ moved over to her, hugging her around the neck tightly, "Mummy!"

"Yes dear," she hugged him back, "Mummy's back," she smiled at the Doctor, "Knew you'd do it," she told him, leaning in to kiss him quickly, the Doctor pulling her back to deepen the kiss...

Only for them both to pull away a moment later, frowning in confusion as to why LJ hadn't commented on it or grumbled, only for Evy to close her eyes and shake her head.

It was because LJ was sitting there beside her, chewing on the sonic, it seemed he was still at that age where new things ended up in his mouth.

"Do I want to know why our son has your sonic dear?" Evy asked him.

"Ah..." he winced, "No, no you don't."

"Take it back?" she nodded at it.

The Doctor gingerly reached out and plucked the sonic from LJ, watching as a tiny bit of drool dripped from it before pulling out a handkerchief and wiping it off, "So…run?" he smirked as he glanced at Evy, "Isn't that MY line?"

"I suppose you've rubbed off on me," Evy shrugged, getting up with LJ in her arms, and glancing at the Shard, "How long do you think it'll be before UNIT mobilizes?"

He laughed, knowing that she'd used her access to the wi-fi to send a message to UNIT about what was happening, "Knowing your motivating face…seconds."

"Good."

"Who's UNIT?" Clara frowned, still sitting on the ground, wondering if that was what had happened to her earlier, and very glad the two had been there to save her.

They looked at her and laughed.

~8~

Clara snuck out of the Maitland home, seeing the blue box outside, and rushed to the doors, knocking on it.

"Come in!" she heard from within and entered to see the Doctor on the stairs, a book in hand, round reading glasses on, as Evy and LJ sat beside him, the man reading to his son, LJ on Evy's lap, holding his mummy's hand as she had her arms around him, happy to have her back. He loved his mummy very much and he knew she would be very proud of him for helping his daddy stop the wi-fi with the sonic, but his daddy had warned him to wait a short while before telling his mummy he'd used the sonic first.

He didn't know why though, sonics were cool!

"So," Clara smiled, "They come back do they?"

"You didn't answer our question," the Doctor remarked.

"What question?"

"You don't strike us as a nanny."

Clara sighed, leaning on the console, "I _was_ going to travel. I came to stay for a week before I left and during that week..."

"She died," Evy worked out as the Doctor shut the book.

"So you're returning the favor," the Doctor agreed, "You've got 101 places to see, and you haven't been to any of them, have you? That's why you keep the book."

"I keep the book 'cos I'm still going," Clara insisted.

"But you don't run out on the people you care about," he took off the glasses, "Wish I was more like you and Evy," he kissed Evy's head.

"Me!" LJ called, making him laugh, the boy was _determined_ to keep in the lives of his family as well. They were sure their past and future companions would be getting random visits from the boy throughout his life. They could only hope that when HE popped up, there wouldn't be any sort of danger lurking about, that it would be just a nice calm trip.

"I always keep in touch with all our friends" Evy told Clara, "And you know what," she got up with LJ, the two of them walking down, her setting LJ on his feet once they got down the stairs, the boy immediately waddling to the console and trying to push any button he could reach, "The best thing about a time machine is that you can go as long as you want and come back five minutes ago. Do so much in one night, relatively speaking."

"So what do you say?" the Doctor grinned, moving over to LJ and, for once, being the responsible one and switching anything dangerous back to normal as his boy pushed what he could, "Anywhere. All of time and space, right outside those doors."

Clara laughed, "Does this work? Eh? Is this actually what you do? Do you just crook your finger and people just jump in your snog box and fly away?"

"It is not a snog box!"

Evy just laughed and kissed his cheek, "Counter now?"

He just smiled and kissed her back, "Never."

"CARA!" LJ squealed, waddling over to her, distracted by the offer of a new companion than the console, "Come!" he took her hand with both of his, shaking it.

Clara smiled at that sweet invitation, kneeling down to run a hand through his hair, "You are just too cute to resist aren't you?" LJ beamed at that, a hint of smugness in his smile that made Evy silently groan at his ego growing before he even hit 2! Clara looked at the boy's parents, "Come back tomorrow, have him ask me again," she stood.

"Why?" the Doctor looked over.

"'Cos tomorrow, I might say yes," she tapped LJ's nose, "Sometime after 7 ok for you?" before she headed for the doors.

"It's a time machine, any time's ok."

"See you then."

"Clara?" Evy called as LJ waddled back to them, tugging on the Doctor's pant leg till he crouched down.

"Yeah?" she looked back at the doors.

"In your book there was a leaf…"

"That wasn't a leaf, that was page one," she waved at LJ as he waved both hands at her, and headed out.

The Doctor smirked, "Right then, Clara Oswald!" he scooped LJ into his arms, spinning around with the boy as he squealed, "Time to find out who you are," he ran back to the console with LJ in his arm and started setting the controls, Evy watching with a smile as she followed them around it, absently undoing whatever LJ tried to 'help' with and praying that he ended up a better pilot than his father.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we are now halfway done with ATOTL! Wow, time flies doesn't it!? 
> 
> Aww, did you love LJ here? I lol-ed thinking of him chastising his parents about not letting him help on a crashing plane :) And the Doctor taking out Kizlet because Evy got caught in the base-station instead :) -shivers- I hope you thought that was an interesting twist, I could see Evy wanting to protect Clara more so since they'd already seen her die twice, and getting caught, well, that was just more motivation for the Doctor wasn't it? :)
> 
> ...LJ drooled on the sonic :) I laughed so hard writing that, the Doctor's poor beloved sonic! ^-^
> 
> Next chapter...Evy plays matchmaker. The Doctor discovers Evy's backup plan for Clara. And what will happen when Clara runs into...J!?


	16. The Rings of Akhaten (Part 1)

Evy and the Doctor sat across the street, on a bench, watching as a man wandered around with a map in the wind. LJ was on the Doctor's lap, all bundled up against the chill as his father read him 'The Beano Summer Special, 1981' while they waited. They'd tracked Clara's personal history, hoping to see how she could _possibly_ exist, and had gone back to the beginning, her parents. Well, really, they'd gone back all the way to her ancestors and followed the line of her most direct family to get there.

Evy looked around, seeing the man wandering, another woman, Clara's mother, walking down the road, neither seeming to notice each other. And then her gaze was caught by a rather large, red leaf on a nearby tree. She smiled and squinted, concentrating, using her powers to pluck the leaf off the tree, the small object getting caught in the breeze rather quickly and, with a little help from her, flew right at Clara's father's face, knocking him into the road in shock…right as a car was driving towards him.

The Doctor shook his head as the woman looked up and ran over to pull the man away, thus Clara's parents meeting, "And you call ME the matchmaker?" he joked.

She just smiled at him, "I suppose you really have rubbed off on me."

He laughed and kissed her.

_Do you have to do that?!_ LJ grumbled, making them laugh.

~8~

The Time Lords stood under an umbrella, Evy holding it as the Doctor had LJ strapped to his front, neither of them trusting the now-walking child to NOT try jumping in puddles like his daddy would. The three of them watched as Clara's parents ran up to her mother's house, the man showing her the leaf he'd kept, before the two shared a tender moment and kissed.

"Ick!" LJ covered his eyes as his parents laughed.

"One day boyo, it won't be so ick," the Doctor patted LJ on the head.

Evy's smile turned a little sad, she almost felt, at times, that they had condemned LJ to a life alone. She and the Doctor had survived and, try as they might, they found no evidence that their people had made it besides them. What sort of life were they setting up for their child that he'd never ever have a Link, not even a friendly or rivalry one? The Doctor was far more hopeful than she was that their son's Link was out there somewhere.

She supposed it was mostly due to him fully believing he was alone till he found her, seeing a similar situation in their son. She was just thankful that, even for a short time, LJ would have River with him, a friend.

~8~

Evy, the Doctor, and LJ were walking through a park, LJ wanting to walk between his parents, holding their hands. Despite walking more, he was still a bit wobbly. Evy and LJ, however, had to stop, laughing hysterically when the Doctor was hit in the side of the face by a stray ball, kicked by a little Clara, the girl now only a few years old. The Doctor fell to the ground as LJ clapped and giggled.

"Oh, my stars!" Clara's mother gasped, rushing over, "Are you alright?"

The Doctor leapt to his feet, his hands out as though to chop people, forgetting for a moment it was a kickball and not an alien attack against his family…until Evy whacked him on the back of the head, "Ow!" he pouted at her, when she nodded at the Oswalds walking over, "Oh, yes, I'm fine! Marvelous. Refulgent. Possibly a touch embarrassed. That's not dangerous, is it?" he looked between Evy and Clara's mother.

"What's not?"

"Embarrassment."

"Not usually. Not to my knowledge."

"Good. Hey," he turned to LJ, tickling his chin, "Phew!"

"Mate, I'm _so_ sorry," Clara's father apologized, smiling down at his daughter as he squeezed her hand, making them all glance at the girl a moment, "She wants to be Bryan Robson."

"I'm sure she will be," Evy smiled, not noticing LJ move behind her, to a small patch of grass, "And it was his fault anyway…" she nodded at the Doctor.

"Oi!" the Doctor frowned, "How's it MY fault?"

"She's 3 years old," Evy gestured at the girl who looked just a bit older than LJ, "YOU should have been paying attention instead of staring at the hedges."

"I wasn't staring at the hedges, I was staring at _you_ ," he told her.

"Sweet," she smiled, giving him a peck, before looking at the family again, "No harm done," she smiled down at Clara, "And who's this lovely girl?"

"Clara," Clara's mother smiled.

"Hello there, Clara," the Doctor leaned over to smile at her, "This is our son, LJ," he stood, looking around for the wayward boy, only for him to step past them.

"Cara!" he smiled at her and holding something out to her.

The adults shared a soft smile as they saw the boy had plucked a little flower, an impatient, (which Evy found oddly fitting given LJ and his father's personalities), and given it to her.

The men shook their heads, watching, amused, as little Clara blushed and let go of her father's hand to take the flower from LJ, "Tanks!" she giggled, making LJ beam.

"He's charming," Clara's mother laughed at the interaction, Clara swaying a little bit, shy now, as LJ just clapped that the girl liked the flower.

"Just like his father," Evy linked her arm with the Doctor's as Clara took LJ's hand and tugged him off to go get the ball, the two children starting to play together.

'Cara,' it seemed, was just as much a 'hand grabber' as 'Lara' was.

~8~

It was a solemn mood that fell over the trio of Time Lords as they stood behind a tree, watching as Clara and her father mourned her mother in the graveyard, standing at her resting place.

"We shouldn't intrude," Evy whispered to the Doctor, taking his hand, as they pushed the pram LJ was sitting in towards the TARDIS.

The boy had really worn himself out playing with little Clara. The two had been absolutely adorable by the end of their playdate. They'd both been so tired that, by the end, they were sitting there, well, lying there, on the ground, pointing at the cloud, nearly half asleep...until they and the Oswalds tried to separate the two. Then the children were wide away and crying and not letting go of each other...till they bribed them with ice cream, which Evy was loathe to do but the Doctor had shouted it out as a last ditch effort. At that point, the kids let go of each other and eagerly attached themselves to their parents instead, excited for the treat.

They'd popped up quite a few more times in Clara's life, it was literally shaping up to be them watching her entire life play out before them, looking for any hint of something that might explain who and what the girl was, but LJ was so tuckered out they'd let him rest in the pram as they did so. He seemed to be feeling a bit more energized, probably ready to walk again on the next moment in Clara's life, but for now, he was resting to his hearts' content.

Time to get back to following Clara's timeline.

~8~

The Doctor walked right up to the console quite a while later, once they had made it to the present day Clara, looking at an image of Clara-Oswin, the governess, on the monitor, "She's just a girl. How can she be?"

Evy hit a button and another Clara, Oswin, from the _Alaska_ , appeared, "That's the thing, she _can't_ be," and again as Clara in her graduation attire appeared, "And yet she is."

"She _can't_ be," the Doctor pushed the monitor away and turned to Evy, leaning on the console, "She's not possible."

Evy smiled lightly, thinking on that, "She's impossible."

The Doctor shook his head, "She's not you."

"But she IS impossible," she countered, "Look at that, another Impossible Girl, a human version."

He sighed, "I don't think we should take her on," he admitted quietly so LJ, playing with his dinosaur figures off to the side, wouldn't hear.

' _I agree,_ ' the TARDIS spoke, ' _She's rude!_ '

The TARDIS was _still_ grumbling about how Clara-Oswin had knocked on her doors and then run off, like those human children who played 'Ding-Dong Ditch.' And the governess hadn't even apologized! The nerve.

The Time Lords found it rather amusing that the TARDIS was holding such a grudge over something so small...but...they could sense there was something more to it. Being an 11-Dimensional being, the TARDIS could likely see Clara's past and future, exactly what she was, but the box had claimed...nothing. Hadn't offered anything at all, and they knew she was lying. The TARDIS had seen something in Clara that upset her, that made her find any little excuse to use as a reason she didn't like Clara than to tell them the truth. And the box was massive and powerful and their transport so they couldn't anger her by prying.

"That was Clara-Oswin," Evy reminded the box, "As far as we know, Clara-Oswin isn't Clara," she was quiet a moment, waiting to see if the box would counter that, but the old girl was silent, so she turned to the Doctor, "And we already asked her Doctor."

"I know, I know but…" the Doctor rubbed his face, "We don't know who she is, not really, we don't know _what_ she is, how she's possible and…" he glanced at LJ again, "What if she's _dangerous_?"

They were almost certain she wasn't dangerous, the TARDIS, despite not telling them about Clara, would NEVER allow ANYONE into her doors that was a threat to their son. If they hadn't left the doors to the box open on the cloud, they knew the statue would never have made it in to grab Clara-Oswin in the first place.

"Oh I've already got a backup plan for that," Evy smiled.

"What?"

"We throw her out the airlock."

He laughed.

"I'm being serious."

He blinked, seeing she really WAS being deadly serious, and nodded, that sounded like a good plan, to protect his family, he'd do anything.

"Come on then," he pulled a lever, "Best pick up my newest companion."

' _Another stray,_ ' the TARDIS grumbled, irritated to know she wouldn't be able to talk to her Time Lords when Clara joined them. That was another reason to dislike the girl, when it was just the three of them, she could talk to them, but when others joined them, she was forced to be silent.

~8~

The Time Lords smiled, watching Clara walk around the TARDIS, SO excited to see what her first trip would be like, "So we're moving through actual time?" Clara asked, absently moving to kneel by LJ, playing with the baby, making growling dinosaur sounds as she held up a T-Rex to his 'Tricey,' "So what's it made of? Time? If you can just rotor through it, it must be made of stuff, like jam's made of strawberries. So what's it made of?"

"Definitely not strawberries," Evy laughed, "Not pears either," they both grimaced, even LJ making a squishy face at that.

"No," the Doctor agreed, "No, no, no. That would be unacceptable."

"And we can go anywhere?" Clara sat back, watching them working the controls.

"Within reason."

Evy scoffed, "Reason, _right_."

"So, we could go backwards in time?" Clara wondered.

"And space," the Doctor nodded, "Yes."

"And forwards in time."

"And space. Totally."

"Now," Evy flicked a switch, turning to Clara, "Where should we go first?" she smiled, "It's up to you Clara. What, in all the Universe, do you want to see?"

Clara jumped to her feet, rushing over to them, her mind racing…before going blank, "I don't know," she pouted, "You know when someone asks you your favorite book and you forget every book you've read?"

"Not really," Evy shook her head.

"Totally not," the Doctor agreed.

"No!" even LJ called out, he remembered every book his parents had ever read him.

Clara blinked, "Well. That's a thing. That happens."

"And?" the Doctor shook his head, "Back to the question."

"Ok. So...so..s.o..." she wandered around the console, thinking out loud, "So, I'd like to see...I would like to see..." she paused by the doors, "What I would like to see is..."

"Wow!" LJ called, wanting to help.

Clara smiled at that, getting the _perfect_ idea, and turned around, grinning, "Something awesome."

The Doctor snapped his finger and pointed at her before he and Evy got to work.

"YAY!" LJ shouted, excited, he rather liked Clara, and he loved awesome things.

~8~

Evy smiled as she led Clara out of the TARDIS, the girl with her eyes closed as the Doctor finished trying to strap LJ to his front, the boy, since learning to walk, seemed to love putting up a fight. They would usually be happy to let him walk around, but they did get worried about the running. When they didn't know what they'd be facing, they tended to want him closer, more secure. She had claimed they'd be plenty safe, they'd gotten to the location they wanted, the right time they wanted, and it should be a calm trip...though she knew it rarely stayed that way with the Doctor. The Doctor was more adamant about keeping LJ attached to him, not wanting to risk his son getting lost in a crowd or kidnapped or, the worst thing ever, wander off.

He was _such_ a father.

And that warmed her hearts so much. The Doctor loved children so much, had suffered terribly in the past, LJ was truly his second chance, like she was, at family and love, and he was determined not to take anything with them for granted.

"Can you feel the light on your eyelids?" the Doctor called as he closed the TARDIS doors, LJ beaming happily at his side, holding his hand instead of hanging from his front.

"Mhmm," Clara murmured.

"That's an alien sun," Evy added, moving to the side so more of the light could fall on her, "Shuffle a bit," she nudged Clara forward, "Perfect."

"Are you ready?" the Doctor grinned.

"Yes," Clara said, before frowning, "No? ...yes?"

"Opin!" LJ squealed.

Clara had to smile at that and slowly opened her eyes, staring at the beautiful sight before her. There was a giant sun, with rocks and meteors drifting past, like rings, orbiting the sun. One of the large rocks had what looked like a city on top of it.

"Welcome to the Rings of Akhaten," the Doctor put his arm around Evy's shoulders, keeping LJ's hand firmly in his own as the boy tried to get a bit closer, the two of them looking out with LJ as he boy stared wide eyed as well, it was his first trip to the Rings too.

"It's..."

"Exactly," Evy smiled at her awed silence.

"But wait," the Doctor added, "There's more."

"More what?" Clara shook her head, still unable to look away.

"Wait, wait, wait," he checked his watch, "In about five, four, three, two..."

They watched as an asteroid passed, revealing a large pyramid, glistening against the light of the sun on another floating rock across from the city.

"What is it?"

"The Pyramid of the Rings of Akhaten," Evy told her, "It's like Santiago or the Vatican, it's a holy site for the Sun-Singers of Akhet."

"The who of what?"

Even LJ looked confused at that.

"Seven worlds orbiting the same star," the Doctor explained, "All of them sharing a belief that life in the Universe originated here. On that planet."

"All life?"

"In the Universe."

"Did it?"

"It's their belief," Evy said gently, "And who are we to discredit that? And it IS a nice story."

"Can we see it? Up close?"

"Peas?" LJ looked up at them, tugging on his father's hand eagerly.

Evy smiled, seeing the Doctor nearly buzzing in excitement, "He was hoping you'd both say that," she laughed, taking Clara's hand and pulling her back to the TARDIS.

~8~

The TARDIS, after the Doctor's 3rd attempt, finally landed behind some stalls in a market-like area of the city, the Doctor hurrying out...actually dragged out by an excited LJ, who was babbling away in a mixture of Baby and speech, adorably Evy had to say. It seemed their son was as much a talker as his father and it was so cute to see him going between that.

"It's alright Clara," she turned, seeing Clara stop short in following them at the sight of SO MANY aliens wandering around. The market was FULL of them, literally crowded with the creatures of all shapes and sizes. Clara nodded vaguely and drifted in front of them, staring around, as Evy peeked at the wares the vendors were selling, the Doctor pointing things out to LJ, whom he'd scooped into his arms so the boy could get a closer look.

"Where are they from?" Clara asked as she moved back to them.

"Oh, you know, the local system mostly," the Doctor called.

"What do I call them?"

"Well, let's see…" he pointed at a few, "There go some Panbabylonians. A Lugal-Irra-Kush. Some Lucanians. A Hooloovoo. Ah! Qom VoTivig!" he stepped right up to one and shared a small one-handed handshake with the man, LJ watching intently, before continuing on as though it hadn't happened, "That chap's a Terraberserker of the Kodion Belt! You don't see many of them around anymore. Oh! That's an Ultramancer!" he rushed over to it with LJ, letting the boy get a close look, before spinning around and rushing back, "You know," he looked at Evy who had been shaking her head at them, "I forget how much I like it here, we should come here more often."

"We should," she nodded, tickling LJ who seemed to be as awed by the aliens as Clara was and rather enjoying himself. He knew quite a lot about them, from his parents, but to actually see them in person was fantastic!

"You've been here before?" Clara looked at them.

"A few times with my brother," Evy nodded, "And once with the Doctor."

"Yes, and I came here a long time ago too, with my granddaughter."

Evy nearly snorted in laughter at seeing Clara's gaping expression, she knew they had a baby, obviously, but a granddaughter?!

Evy had to shake her head though, it was sweet how the Doctor called Susan his granddaughter. The girl had been an alien, of a two-hearted species, mildly telepathic, but NOT a Time Lord, she was just…one of his first ever companions and he'd been so old and her so young that most thought they _were_ grandfather/granddaughter so they went with it, eventually seeing the other as that as well.

"Hang on!" Clara dashed after him as Evy followed, only for the two women to run into a tall alien who shook its head at them before moving on.

"Oh don't do that!" Evy grumbled as they found the boys, the Doctor letting LJ eat a blue sort of slush in a blue bowl, scanning it.

"Exotic fruit of some description," he reassured her, "Non-toxic. Non-hallucinogenic. High in free radicals. And low in other stuff, I shouldn't wonder."

"Yum," LJ ate his happily.

Evy sighed and shook her head, but took one of the four remaining fruits on the tray the Doctor had set down before them, and tasted it, nodding a little, it _was_ tasty.

Clara though grimaced and shook her head.

"No?" the Doctor frowned.

"Yum!" LJ insisted.

Clara laughed and patted LJ on the head, "More for you though."

The child blinked and beamed, taking the fruit she'd offered him and munching on it too, holding one in each hand.

"So, why's everyone here?"

"The Festival of Offerings is today," Evy explained as they wandered, the Doctor picking up the tray as he followed, "It's a celebration that takes place every thousand years, give or take, right when the rings align with each other."

"It's quite a big thing, locally," the Doctor added, "Like Pancake Tuesday."

"Ignore him," Evy told Clara as the man wandered ahead with LJ, the man rambling about all the toppings he liked to add to his pancakes, like whipped cream and bananas...

Clara shook her head "Is he always like that?"

"Like what?"

"So…" she tried to describe it, "Excited and happy about everything."

Evy smiled softly, "Much more now," she told her.

Clara nodded and turned to look around, when she nearly ran into a dog-like alien, "Whoa!" who just barked and growled and snarled at her, "Eh, Evy…"

Evy just made a few soft barks back at the alien, calming it.

"What's happening?" she stepped closer to the Time Lady, "Why's it angry?"

"It's a she actually," she explained, "Dor'een apparently. Well then Dor'een, meet Clara. Clara, meet Dor'een."

"Dor'een?"

"As close a translation as I can muster," Evy shrugged, "She sounds grumpy but that just her natural voice, she's actually rather nice. She just wanted to know if you wanted to rent a moped."

Dor'een nodded at the space-bike beside her.

"So, how much does it cost?" Clara eyed it.

"Not money," the Doctor said, coming up to join them, having heard Clara's shouts and the barking, "Something valuable. Sentimental value. A photograph, love letter, something like that. That's what's used for currency here. Psychometry. Objects psychically imprinted with their history. The more treasured they are, the more value they hold."

"That's horrible."

"Has more value than bits of paper though," Evy countered.

"Then you pay."

"With what?" the Doctor laughed.

"You're both a thousand years old. You must have something you care about."

"Actually, I'm only 983 years old," Evy remarked, "This dunce left me on Earth for 200 years…"

"It was 2 weeks for YOU!" he reminded her, absently patting his pocket where the sonic was.

Evy rolled her eyes when LJ gave a little burp. She looked down at the boy to see he'd smeared his face with one of the blue fruits and sighed, "He is YOUR son," she remarked, handing a napkin from the never-ending supply in her pocket to the Doctor, "YOU clean him."

The Doctor laughed, it seemed she'd caught on to how he purposefully made a mess of himself when eating to get her close enough to kiss her when she tried to wipe his face and wanted him to 'make up for it' with LJ. He handed Clara the tray so he could take the napkin, moving to wipe his son off and make him less of a sticky mess even if he knew the boy would just end up the same way when he tried to eat the second fruit Clara had given him. He started walking off with Evy as Clara looked at the tray before glancing up, only to see they were gone.

Clara frowned and spun around, trying to spot them in the crowd. She huffed and headed off in one direction, ducking around the aliens, trying to find the Time Lords again. She sighed, realizing she was lost and spun around, gasping as she crashed into someone, the blue fruit smearing all over the man's chest, covering his blue jumper and dripping down to his black pants.

"Oh my God!" Clara's eyes widened, "I am _so_ sorry!" she looked around, trying to find some sort of napkin to use to try and wipe the fruit off.

"No, no, it's ok," the man remarked, laughing a bit, "I'm actually used to it."

She blinked and turned back to him, about to remark on that, when she got a look at him. He was tall, very...built...and standing there, completely causal, his hands in his pockets, not even bothered that he had blue fruit mush dripping from his shirt. Her gaze trailed up, fighting down a small blush as she barely made out some muscles through his shirt, and to his face...which did NOT help at all. He had rather sharp, strong features, smooth skinned, with brown hair that stuck up a bit, a button nose that actually seemed to work for him despite him being a man, and...blue eyes. The bluest eyes she'd ever seen really...but... _familiar_ eyes.

At least he was human, in appearance, even if he was a rather handsome human, which only served to increase her embarrassment even more...until his words caught up with her.

"You...end up covered in food often?" she blinked, smiling a bit.

"More than I'd like to admit," he sighed, smiling back at her. He had a wide grin, perfect white teeth too. He eyed her a moment, "You'll find out about that soon though, I'd wager."

"How?" she laughed, she'd just met him.

He shrugged, "You'll see," before he held out a hand to her, completely ignoring the food still dripping off him, "I'm J, by the way."

"That rhymed," she shook his hand, "I'm..."

"Clara," he cut in, a knowing look on his face.

"How do you know that?" she frowned, a bit unsure of him now.

"You look like a Clara."

"Do I?"

"Oh yeah."

"And what do Claras look like?"

"Like you."

"That's not an actual answer."

"But it is _an_ answer."

"Not a good one."

"Good is relative."

"You're funny," she shook her head at him.

He pouted, "What's wrong with funny?"

"Nothing," she smiled, nudging him, "Still talking to you aren't I?"

He laughed, "Have to admit, I'm surprised you are."

"Why?" she frowned.

"Not everyone can keep up with me when I start talking."

"Well I'm 'not everyone' am I?" Clara smiled.

"Definitely not," he laughed, "I mean dad can ramble like you can't believe, babble about everything, usually about science or history or something, the 'gob that won't stop' a lot of people say, but then again there IS mum and she can talk a lot too, especially if she's angry, which you DON'T want to get her, ever ever ever, take it from me, because when she's angry she doesn't really stop to breathe which is rather creepy to witness, I have to admit, so I got the worst of both sides really, I can go in one breath and just ramble and ramble and ramble and..."

Clara put her hand over his mouth, "I get that," she laughed.

He just reached up and pulled her hand off his mouth, his other hand rubbing the back of his neck embarrassedly, "Yeah...sorry 'bout that."

"It's ok," she reassured him, "I can talk pretty quickly too."

"Oh I annoy Riv so much when I get started."

"Who?" she frowned.

"My friend, River," he nodded, "We're just travelling, have been for a while now," he added, "She's an archaeologist so she loves seeing history play out before her, thought this might be fun to see. She's around here somewhere," he looked around as though trying to spot her, but frowned and shrugged, "She must've wandered off...again, she always does that," he sighed, "She'll be fine though."

"I know that feeling," Clara muttered, "The people I was with wandered off as well."

J smirked as though he'd heard a joke or something ironic, "Really? You sure YOU didn't wander off?"

"Nope," she shook her head, "I was just standing there and the next thing I know, I look up and they're gone."

"Never letting them live THAT down," he mumbled.

"What?" she looked at him, not quite sure if she'd heard him.

"Nothing," he smiled widely, "Want any help to find them again?"

"I wouldn't know the first place to look," she shrugged, "This place is huge."

"Well then," he beamed, pulling something out of his pocket, "Lucky I have this!" he held up a small metal cylinder that had a green light on the end of it.

"Hold on, is that..." she began, but he just pulled her off by the hand he was still holding...and she realized he hadn't let go of it since he'd pulled her hand off his mouth, and she hadn't noticed till then. She had to smile though, it felt...nice, she had always been a bit of a hand-holder.

"This way!" he cheered, flashing his 'wand' around, the same whirring noise as the Doctor and Evy's sonic resonating from it, as he led her off...

...only to stop a few feet away at a booth with small treats on it with a cry of, "Ooh nibbles!" he pulled her over and picked up two, handing the seller a key chain, a small one he'd picked up on his travels, just about important enough to him to exchange for two small...what looked like...cookies.

"You're just like one big child aren't you?" she eyed him, amused by how easily he'd been distracted.

"Thanks!" he grinned, before he pouted, "Wait a minute, was that an insult?" he wasn't sure, his mum often told his father he acted like a child, but it was in a very fond way.

"I was just stating the truth."

"So...not an insult then?"

"It can be if the truth, in itself, _is_ an insult."

He stared at her, actually confused for a moment, before beaming, which made her laugh a bit at how she really _had_ given him a minor insult and he seemed _happy_ about it, he was an odd one wasn't he?

"Brilliant!" he laughed, "You got one up on me! That never really happens, now that I think about it."

"Not even your friend?" Clara asked, "She's never bested you?"

"Not yet," he shrugged, "I always won our arguments in University, we've only been out some years though, she just might one day," and then he seemed to realize he still had both 'cookies' in his hand, "Here!" he handed her one, beginning to munch on the other one.

She eyed the treat skeptically, recalling how the blue mush had tasted.

"It's good, really," he assured her, "Trust me," he looked at her intently and she had the strangest feeling like...she did...trust him that is, but, it was more because he was just SO familiar and she couldn't place why. He winked at her and tossed the last of his treat in his mouth, "Cross my hear...t," he faltered, crossing his left side.

Luckily, Clara didn't seem to notice that as she took a cautious bite of her treat, making him grin as she ate the rest of it, "That's delicious!"

He laughed, recalling Clara's reaction to the blue mush, "A bit better than this eh?" he pointed at the blue mush still coating his shirt.

"I'm _really_ sorry about that," Clara winced, reminded of it, she'd actually forgotten it was even there. He'd just wandered about so naturally, confidently, that it was almost like HE didn't even notice, and if he acted like it wasn't there, then it wasn't.

"And it's _really_ alright Clar," he shrugged.

"Clar?" she eyed him.

He shrugged, "I tend to give everyone nicknames, Riv, V, Jen-Jen, Straxy, JD...and you have no idea who any of them are," he laughed, tugging his ear a bit, "Sorry, my thoughts get away from me a lot."

She just eyed him, he was as absentminded as the Doctor was, "Fine with me," she shrugged in return, "One of the people I'm travelling with is like that, the other, she's very sensible, and their baby...he's _adorable_ ," she laughed, LJ really _was_ the cutest baby she'd ever met, and she'd babysat A LOT of them. Maybe it was just an alien thing.

J seemed to smile softly at that, "Oh he is, is he? Adorable eh?"

She eyed him, not quite sure why a faint blush was creeping up his neck, " _I_ think so."

"Speaking of them," he looked past her shoulder, "Is that them?" he nodded.

Clara turned around to see Evy wandering through the crowd, seeming to be looking for her, "Yeah," she smiled, "That's Evy, she's..." she turned around, about to say she was nice and ask if he'd like to meet them, but...

J was gone.

She frowned and looked around, spinning in a circle, moving on her toes, trying to spot him...but he was just...nowhere to be seen.

Well that was a bit...rude. She was actually a bit hurt too that he hadn't said goodbye at least.

She sighed, and turned to go meet Evy, who hadn't seemed to have noticed her yet, only for a little girl in a red robe to run into her, "Are you ok?" she asked the girl, straightening her.

The girl just looked at her, scared, and ran off, two older men in monk-like red robes stepping around the corner moments later, striding up to her, "Have you seen her?"

"Who?" she frowned.

"The Queen of Years," the second man answered.

She squinted, even more confused, "Who?"

The men just exchanged a look and rushed off, leaving Clara watching them go...when...

"There you are," Evy stepped up beside her, pausing when she saw the look on Clara's face, "What's wrong?"

"I saw a little girl and she looked really scared," Clara murmured, looking around, probably the way the girl had run.

Evy frowned, "Well let's go find her then."

"Really?" Clara turned to her, she was about to mention the man she'd run into, he was odd and Evy and the Doctor seemed to know a lot about odd, but that little girl...she was _so scared_ , she _hated_ seeing children afraid. She knew exactly what it was like to be a child and be afraid.

Worst feeling ever.

Evy nodded, "The Doctor and I don't do well when children are crying or scared, that's what we do, we help."

Clara smiled and took Evy's hand, pulling her off the way the girl had run, not even seeing J watching them go with a fond smile from behind a stall, finding it touching and empathizing with Clara's need to protect the children, turning away only when a woman with rather large, curly hair stepped beside him and began to talk.

"What's got you all smiles?" River asked, looking up from her pamphlet about the festival.

J just looked out, watching them go though River didn't see, "I'm adorable."

~8~

Clara and Evy entered a dark warehouse, littered with boxes and other odds and ends, "Hello?" Clara called out as she moved cautiously, looking around.

"I've got it," Evy reassured her, pulling out her sonic and scanning for life, Clara eyeing the device with a frown, J's really DID sound an awful lot like Evy's. The sonic beeped and they headed over in that direction, when a crash was made and they saw a shadow dash across before them. They hurried after it and peered around a corner to see a little girl hiding behind some boxes.

"Hey! Are you ok? Are you lost?"

The girl just backed away, scared, and ran off. Evy frowned at how terrified she was and followed the sonic after her, they neared where they could hear the girl panting and she tried to run, only to run into a bit of furniture, knocking over, screaming in fright at the noise it made.

"It's alright," Evy called to the girl, holding up her sonic before putting it away, "We're not here to hurt you. I'm Evy," she told her.

"And I'm Clara," Clara added.

"…Merry," the girl whispered.

"That's a _beautiful_ name," Evy smiled at her.

"Are you alright Merry?" Clara asked as she nodded, "What are you doing?"

"Hiding," she murmured.

"I've got _plenty_ of experience there," Evy winked, "I once hid, right in front of my Link, for a _year_ and he didn't even see me," she laughed, making her smile.

"Why are you hiding?" Clara frowned.

"You don't know me?" the girl eyed them.

"I can venture a guess," Evy crossed her arms but smiled.

"I haven't got a clue," Clara added.

"So, why did you follow me?" Merry asked.

"To help," Evy said, "Clara said you were scared, and I hate it when children are scared."

"I don't believe you."

Evy took a step forward, let's see if the Doctor rubbed off on her even more, "My son _loves_ being scared," she told the girl, "But, you know what? I think it's because he knows my Link and I will always be there to protect him, to watch out for him, so he doesn't feel as scared as he should. If you'd like, we can help you too."

"I swear," Clara nodded, "I just saw a little girl who looked like she needed help."

"Really?" Merry eyed them as they nodded, "Can you help me?"

"That's what we do," Evy smiled.

"Because I need to hide."

Evy and Clara looked at each other, Clara grinning as Evy nodded her the ok, "We've got the perfect place."

Evy looked down as her sonic beeped and pulled it out, eyeing it, "But we should probably go now," she said, the sonic was picking up three other life forms besides them, reaching out for Merry's hand, holding her hand out, letting the girl decide if she wanted to go.

Merry hesitated, but took it in the end and off they went.

~8~

The trio ran through the market, hiding every now and then when the monks passed, looking for Merry, till they reached the TARDIS.

"What's this?" Merry asked, eyeing the box.

"A space-shippy thing," Clara answered, "Timey, spacey."

"It's called a TARDIS," Evy laughed, Clara was almost as bad as the Doctor when it came to that.

"It's teeny," Merry frowned.

"Wait till you see inside," Evy remarked.

Clara pulled on the doors but they wouldn't open, "Oh, come on."

"What's wrong?" Merry asked.

"I don't know," Clara stepped back, looking at Evy, "I don't think it likes me."

Evy smiled and stepped forward, "Let me try," she ran her finger down the lock and tried to open the doors but they _still_ wouldn't budge, "Well how about that," she murmured, glancing at Clara, "She REALLY doesn't like you."

Clara pouted and turned to Merry, only to see her moving around the back of the TARDIS, "Hey!" they peeked around on either side, "Merry," they moved to see her sitting behind the box, squeezed in but still scared.

They looked at each other over her head and nodded, sitting down with her, on either side of her.

"What are you running from Merry?" Evy asked her.

"Is someone trying to hurt you?" Clara frowned.

"No," Merry sighed, "I'm just...scared."

"Of what?"

"Getting it wrong."

"Ok...can you pretend like I'm totally a space alien and explain?"

"I'm Merry Gejelh."

" _Really_ not local. Sorry."

"She's the Queen of Years," Evy explained to Clara, "When the last Queen of Years dies, they select a baby born on the same day to represent the continuation of her legacy. She's the vessel of their history," she smiled at Merry, reaching out to run a comforting hand through the girl's hair, "You know every chronicle, every poem, every legend, every song, don't you Merry?"

Merry nodded as Clara stared at her, "Every single one? Blimey. I hated history."

"I preferred science myself," Evy nodded.

"And now I have to sing a song in front of everyone," Merry frowned, "A special song. I have to sing it to a god. And I'm really scared."

"Everyone's scared when they're little," Clara murmured, "I used to be terrified of getting lost. Used to have nightmares about it. And then I got lost. Blackpool beach, Bank Holiday Monday. About ten billion people. I was about six. My worst nightmare come true."

"What happened?"

"The world ended. My heart broke. And then my mum found me. We had fish and chips and she drove me home and she tucked me up and she told me a story," she smiled, recalling how her mother had said that no matter where she was, the jungle, the desert, the moon, she'd always be there and she'd always find her.

"And you were never scared again?"

Evy smiled, "Merry grownups get scared _lots_ of times," she told the girl, taking her hand, "Of all sorts of things, for the people we love, the things we hold dear, our family, our children, we get afraid, but we always remember that we have to be strong to help the people we love."

"I was scared lots of times," Clara added, "But never of being lost. So, this special song. What are you scared of, exactly?"

"Getting it wrong," Merry whispered, "Making grandfather angry."

"Oh I don't think you'll get it wrong," Evy smiled, "You are the Queen of years, you're a little princess. You know everything Merry, better than anyone else, and if _anyone_ can sing that song for grandfather, it's you."

Clara nodded, "I think you, Merry Gejelh, will get it very, _very_ right."

Merry smiled at the two women and hugged them tightly before taking a breath and getting up. They walked with her around the TARDIS, back to the market, as the two monks looked over. They smiled at Merry and squeezed her hands as she stepped past them and moved over to the monks. One placed a flower ring around her neck while the other took her hand and they walked off.

"What have you been doing?" the Doctor smiled knowingly as he walked over, he knew, of course he did, he and Evy were ALWAYS aware of where the other was.

"Exploring," Clara grinned, turning to him, only to blink, seeing LJ in his one arm, the blue mush not on his face this time, but smeared all over the front of him...luckily on a napkin the Doctor had had sense enough to tuck into the boy's shirt like a bib. She frowned, looking at LJ, covered in the blue mush, and then back at the market, trying, one final time, to spot J anywhere.

Evy, on the other hand, rolled her eyes, _the Doctor_ had the blue fruit smudged all over his face now, "Oh Doctor," she pulled out another napkin, "You're such a child at times," she wiped his face off, "What am I going to do with you?"

He just grinned and leaned in to peck her lips, "Whatever you want," he told her.

She laughed, "Well, right now, I want to go to the show!" she took his hand and pulled him off, ready to see the festival begin, as he pulled the napkin-bib off of LJ and tossed it in a bin as they passed.

"Where are we going now?" Clara called as she followed.

~8~

The trio and Clara ran into an amphitheater sort of space to see Merry standing on a small pedestal in the center on the edge of it, facing the pyramid.

"Shh!" the Doctor whispered, seeing the show about to start.

"Shh!" LJ mimicked, in the Doctor's arms, as his daddy started to climb past the other aliens to their seats, a small section in the middle enough for three people, which was just as well as LJ sat in the Doctor's lap, "Sorry, sorry, excuse us. Sorry. Excuse us…"

"Excuse HIM," Evy muttered as they moved to sit.

"Sorry," Clara winced, "Sorry," finally managing to sit down as well, beside the Doctor who as in the middle, "Are we even supposed to be here?"

"Shh," Evy smiled, putting a finger to her lips.

"But are we? "

"Shh!" LJ repeated.

The Doctor laughed at that, before wincing, "Sorry," he called to the other aliens who turned at the loud noise of is laugh.

Evy and Clara looked over as Merry turned back to look at them, both of them giving her encouraging smiles which she returned, before turning around.

"Akhaten…" she began to sing, "Oh, god of Akhaten..."

"They're singing to the Akhaten in the Temple," Evy whispered to Clara, "They call it the Old God. Sometimes grandfather."

"Oh, god of Akhaten..."

"What are they singing?" Clara asked, just as quietly.

"The Long Song," the Doctor read from a pamphlet, "A lullaby without end. To feed the old god. Keep him asleep. It's been going for millions of years. Chorister handing over to Chorister. Generation after generation after generation."

"Akhaten..." Merry continued.

Clara smiled, when she caught sight of the audience holding up small objects in their hands, food and things, "What are they doing?"

"They're making offerings to the Old God," Evy told her, "Gifts of value, worth something, like in the market."

Clara laughed as the objects turned into dust particles, glowing and drifting up to the sun.

"Oh, god of..." Merry looked up at the golden light as well, "Oh, god of...oh god of Akhaten..."

And slowly, the audience began to join in with her, the Doctor looking around a moment before starting to try and sing too, "Lay…" he was early and winced, stopping.

"Lay down, my warrior..." the audience sang.

"Akhaten..." Merry echoed over them.

The Doctor looked down, frowning when he saw LJ napping against him, lulled to sleep by the lullaby.

Evy smiled, seeing his pout and kissed his cheek, "They have nothing on you dear," she told him, LJ _loved_ it when his daddy sang to him at night, put him right out.

"Oh, god of...oh, god of...oh, god of...oh, god of Akhaten…" Merry gasped, hitting just one note off on the last word.

Merry turned around, frightened, all of them knowing something was wrong…when suddenly a beam of light flew out of the pyramid and struck Merry, taking hold of her, lifting her into the air.

"Ok," Clara tensed, "What's happening? Is this supposed to happen?"

"Help!" Merry yelled, flailing.

"I don't think so," Evy stood.

"Is somebody going to do something?" Clara turned to the aliens, "Excuse me? Is somebody going to help her?"

The Doctor and Evy were out of their seats, carrying LJ as they ran down the other seats and out of the amphitheater, Clara running after them, as Merry was pulled towards the temple, out into space.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol, I just really wanted J to pop up randomly in an episode that didn't involve River already being there, just a small thing, I could see them both being in Akhaten for something that was such a longstanding tradition and so crowded with other aliens for J to look at and observe :) That's all we'll be seeing of them in this episode though as J would know his parents will be able to handle what's coming without him and River being needed :)
> 
> Did you enjoy the little Clara & J meeting? :) I sort of tried to get it to be she's amused by him, but confused, shouldn't trust him as he's a stranger, but sort of does because there's something just SO familiar about him that she can't place...because he's LJ grown up :) I can say there'll be a point where she finds out who he is (LJ) which might be confusing as that J isn't the J we see here...if that makes sense lol :) I also wanted to add hints of little moments for LJ's little crush that I hinted about developing on Clara with J, how he blushes at her thinking his baby-self is adorable and liking holding her hand and things, but then again, he IS the Doctor's son, I could see him holding everyone's hand :) In general though, idk, what do you think of it for Clara's first meeting of J in her timeline?
> 
> But here's another question...what is the TARDIS's REAL issue with Clara? Hmmm... :)
> 
> Next chapter...LJ has some ideas about just how awesome his daddy is, Clara might be spending a bit too much time around LJ, and Evy entrusts Clara with something very precious.


	17. The Rings of Akhaten (Part 2)

"Why are we walking away?" Clara shouted, dashing after them through the market.

"Clara…" Evy began.

But Clara was on a roll, "We can't just walk away."

"Clara."

"This is our fault! Evy and I talked her into doing this!"

"Clara!" Evy finally managed to cut in, "We're not running AWAY."

The Doctor nodded, "There's one thing you need to know about travelling with us...well, one thing apart from the blue box and the two hearts. Boyo?"

"Stay!" LJ said as firmly as a baby could, his face as serious as it could go, though there _was_ a determined glint in his eyes.

"Righto," he agreed, "We _don't_ walk away," he took Evy's hand and they continued on through the market, to Dor'een. He barked at the alien, the woman growling back, before he patted himself down, "We need something precious."

"Well, you must have something, all the places you've seen," Clara looked at them.

"The only things I have are Evy, LJ, the T…" Evy nudged him in the stomach, trying to remind him _not_ to remind her of the TARDIS sitting there, that _wasn't_ part of the plan, "The trusty sonic screwdriver," he pulled it out, "We can't give any of it away. It comes in handy."

"You're 1,000 years old," Clara deadpanned, "And that's it, your spanner?"

"Oi, and my family!" he argued, not bothering to correct her that he was really 1,200.

Clara looked down at the mention of family, to her ring, the one she'd gotten from her mother, the one she always wore, and took it off, "It's my mum's," she murmured, before taking a breath and handing it to Dor'een.

The Time Lords watched closely as Dor'een sensed the value of the ring and nodded, accepting it. The Time Lords frowned a moment, the ring was real, the value, the memories behind it were real, but what was Clara!? How was SHE real?

"Thank you," Evy turned to Clara, hugging her on the side as the Doctor pulled out the papoose, managing to get a grumbling LJ into it, before they all clambered onto the moped and flew off. They shot out into space, seeing Merry nearly at the pyramid.

Clara leaned forward, "Merry!" reaching for her, but just as their hands touched...Merry was sucked away, right into the pyramid, screaming all the way.

"Brakes dear!" Evy shouted as they neared the temple rather quickly, "I know you hate them, but brakes would be great right now!"

They screamed as they came to a stop, skidding onto a small open area by a stone door. They panted a moment…when LJ let out the biggest cheer his small lungs could muster, clapping and babbling excitedly about how that was _so awesome_.

_Can I have a space moped mummy?_ LJ asked her.

"No!" she called to him, her hearts racing. She could only imagine the mess he'd get into with a machine like that, she truly did NOT want to know the messes J had gotten into with a TARDIS at his disposal.

"Ok," the Doctor nodded, getting up, "Time to save Merry…"

"Dear," Evy cut in, "A little help," she nodded behind her where Clara was clinging to her.

"Clara you can let go now…"

"I can't," Clara panted, her eyes squeezed shut.

"Clara, you _have_ to."

"Why?"

"Because, even though I love hugs…it's starting to hurt a bit," Evy told her.

"Sorry!" she let go quickly and got off the moped.

The Doctor laughed and they ran to the door, Evy flashing her sonic at the locks, frowning, "Well that's new," she remarked, showing him the results, while trying to keep the device far enough away from LJ where the boy couldn't grab hold of it, quite unlike the Doctor, she wanted to keep her sonic in perfect working order as long as possible and she was fairly certain that drool wouldn't work quite well with a sonic, "A frequency modulated acoustic lock."

"The key changes ten million, zillion, squillion times a second," the Doctor whistled, absently bobbing LJ who seemed just as impressed.

"Can you open it?" Clara asked, watching as Evy flicked through the controls and frequencies.

"Technically, no. In reality, also no. But still...let's give it a stab," he grinned, about to take a running leap at the door when Evy reached out, caught his arm, and forcefully pulled him back.

"You've got our son strapped to the front of you and you were about to _run_ at a _stone_ _door_?!"

_But mum…_ LJ whined, pouting, he wanted to see his daddy break down the stone door with the awesomeness that was him.

Evy just rolled her eyes and started flashing her sonic at the door instead, the Doctor doing the same with his, both of them trying to get the door to open.

"How can they just stand there and watch?" Clara had to ask as they worked. She had seen how the two were with their son, how much they loved and cared for him, and she couldn't imagine anyone just standing by as a child was in danger.

"Because it's their belief that this ground is sacred," Evy remarked, "They wouldn't dare set foot on it."

"But she's a _child_!"

"And he's a _god_ ," the Doctor countered, "Well, he is to _them_ , anyway…"

The rest of his explanation was cut off by the sound of Merry screaming, the Time Lords frantically trying to get the door open.

"Merry!" Clara ran to the door, "Merry, hold on! We'll be there soon! Doctor? Evy?"

"Found it!" Evy cheered, turning to send the lock she'd picked up to the Doctor's sonic.

"Yes, yes, yes," he grinned, "Oh! Hello!"

"Hello what?" Clara shook her head.

"The sonics have locked on to the acoustic tumblers."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning, we get to do this!" he turned back to the doors, the two of them flicking on their sonics and it started to rise.

Merry turned around just in time to see them crouching down to get through, "Hello there," the Doctor waved, "I'm the Doctor, this is LJ, my son. And you've met Evy and Clara. We were supposed to be having a nice day out," he turned off the sonic, "Still, it's early yet…"

"Doctor!" Evy called as the doors jolted down a bit, only being held up by her sonic, and it was really heavy!

The Doctor quickly turned his back on, the two of them managing to keep the door open though they strained a bit to do so, "Are you coming, then?"

"Merry you need to be quick," Evy told her, "The door is immensely heavy!"

"Leave," Merry begged, "You'll wake him!"

"Really quite extraordinarily heavy," the Doctor agreed despite LJ egging them on.

"Clara?" Evy glanced at her, "A little help?!"

Clara crouched down and made it to the other side of the door, pausing to look at the monk knelt on the floor, singing, and made her way to Merry, "Merry, we need to leave."

"No," Merry shook her head, moving back, "Go away!"

"Not without you."

"You said I wouldn't get it wrong and then I got it wrong! And now this has happened. Look what's happened!"

"You didn't get it wrong!" Evy called, moving to step under the door, keeping it open on the other side, hoping it would help, but it didn't seem to do anything.

"How do you know? You don't know anything! You have to go! Go now! Or he'll eat us all."

"Well, he's ugly," Clara looked past Merry at the mummified body that was sitting in a glass case behind her, looking alive somehow, "But, you know, to be honest..." she stepped up the few steps to it, and turned to Merry with a smile, "I don't think he looks big enough."

"Not our meat. Our _souls_."

Clara took a step towards Merry but the girl closed her eyes and concentrated, pushing Clara back against the glass, holding her there with a small bit of purple energy.

"He doesn't want you, he wants _me_. If you don't leave, he'll eat you all up too."

"Yes and you don't want that, do you?" the Doctor asked, "You want us to walk out of this really quite astonishingly heavy door and never come back?"

"Yes."

"No!" LJ shouted, making the Doctor look down at his son a moment and grin.

He looked up at Evy as she smiled at him, "I see. Right. Clara and LJ are right. Absolutely never going to happen. Ooh, ooh, ooh," he ducked down under the door, Evy holding it up long enough for him to get to their side with LJ before letting it fall, blowing on the end of her sonic before slipping it back into its holster.

"Did you just lock us in?" Clara shouted.

"Yep."

"With the soul-eating monster."

"Yep."

"And is there actually a way to get out?"

"What?" the Doctor laughed, moving his arm around Evy's shoulders as they walked farther into the room, "Before it eats our souls?"

"Ideally, yes."

"Possibly. Probably. There usually seems to be."

They looked down as LJ gurgled and squirmed, Evy rolling her eyes at her son's rather firm demands to be taken closer to see the 'old mummy man.' She reached out and began unstrapping their son from the Doctor before walking up the dais to let the boy see him, the boy pressing his face against the glass for a closer look.

"Doctor, why is he still singing?" Clara glanced at the monk still sitting before the god, singing desperately.

"…rest your weary, holy head..." the monk murmured.

"Isn't it obvious?" Evy asked as she slowly walked around the glass at LJ's request, "He's singing the lullaby to try and keep this thing asleep."

"It's not going to happen," the Doctor told the monk, "He's waking up, mate. He coming, ready or not. You want to run."

"...holy head and…" the monk swallowed hard, STOPPING singing.

"That's it, then? Song's over?"

"The song is over," the man said, tears in his eyes, as he got up, "My name is Chorister Rezh Baphix, and the 'Long Song' ended with me…" he bowed his head in shame and teleported out.

"That's it, then!" the Doctor grinned, "Song's over! Care to do the honors boyo?" he tossed his sonic to Evy as though LJ would be able to catch it, but _she_ did for him.

She rolled her eyes, but supposed that it was better to let LJ _borrow_ their sonics than to give the boy his own, she held it out, the settings ready and LJ grinned, pushing the button that flashed the sonic at the mummy.

It jumped up, letting out a fierce roar.

"Ha ha!" the Doctor rushed to LJ, noogying his head lightly, before moving to the cage, pressing his face right up against it as LJ had done.

"Like father like son," Evy sighed, smiling though, they were SO alike.

She would have thought that she'd be more alarmed at how similar LJ was to the Doctor, knowing how the Doctor could be, the trouble he could get into, the luck he had, but...the Doctor was an amazing man, the best, and for anyone to grow up like him would be a blessing for the Universe, it could do with more Doctors. She would be happy if he grew up just like the Doctor...but with hints of her as well, namely her backup plans and her self-preservation, her ability to keep the person she loved safe and do the impossible. She had an idea that, given what J had said in Manhattan, that there were 3 impossible people there, that LJ would grow up to be something like that. Well, she couldn't be sure, he might have just meant that he was an impossible boy since, truly, he shouldn't exist given the Time War, but he did. She didn't know, either way he was a miracle, truly.

"Look at that!" the Doctor spun around and jogged to Evy's side, tickling LJ's stomach.

"You've woken him!" Merry leapt back, terrified.

"It's _awake_?" Clara's eyes widened as it began to pound on the glass, roaring though they couldn't hear it, "What's it doing?"

"Oh, you know, trying to brea…" the Doctor began before Evy whacked him, "I mean...having a nice stretch?"

"WE didn't wake him Merry," Evy looked at the girl, "And neither did you. He's just…waking up because he doesn't want to sleep any longer. It's just time to wake."

"And feed," the Doctor nodded, eyeing the girl, "On you, apparen…ow!" he winced as Evy whacked him _again_.

"On your _stories_ ," she emphasized, trying not to scare the girl.

It seemed, since LJ _loved_ the danger more than her and the Doctor combined...not a good thing...the Doctor had stopped trying to make things seem less scary for the boy, wanting to give him the thrill he seemed to love, but it still had to be watched out for with other children there, other children weren't as happy to be scared as LJ was.

"She didn't say stories, she said _souls_ ," Clara countered.

"It's the same thing, isn't it?" Evy shook her head, "Everything we are, our souls, are just a culmination of stories. Everything that has ever happened to us in our lives. It's made of the people we love and lost and found again," she smiled sadly, thinking of her brother, "Against all the odds."

They'd told LJ about him, about all his 'uncles' as he liked to call them, Owen, and Ianto, and Terrin. And his Aunt Tosh. They weren't going to keep stories of the boy's actual, biological uncle from him, they did tell him that the man had a hard life, a tough time, and explained why he didn't seem to like the boy's father. The Doctor himself had been startled to hear out loud that the Master had chased him across the stars, hunted him down, tried to 'kill' him, because of what had happened on Gallifrey, because of the man's sister being Linked to him and him fleeing the planet before he could Link to her. In the end, it was almost...sweet...that the man cared so much about his sister as to want to hunt him down through time and space because of the partial Link. Well, sweet in a sort of psychotic, mad, and completely sadistic way.

But they'd told LJ about him, told him stories of the good times, the times they had both shared with the Master, the happy times, the fun times, the adventures that were actually adventures and not fights. LJ understood that his uncle had done bad things in the past, but hearing that there had been something of a 'caring' reason behind it had made it just a tiny bit better. But he liked hearing the good stories more. The amazing stories of his Uncle Terrin, and Uncle Ianto, and so many others. It made him feel closer to his parents, to his Uncle Jack as well, to hear about the man who had been such a large part of his godfather's life. He loved stories, he loved them more than anything.

"He threatens to wake," the Doctor moved closer to Evy, putting his arm around her shoulders, sensing where her thoughts had gone, reminding her she'd found _him_ again as well and that she would never, _ever_ lose him, "They offer him a pure soul. The soul of the Queen of Years."

"Stop it," Clara whispered to him, "You're scaring her," and wondering why Evy hadn't smacked him for that yet.

"Good. She _should_ be scared! She's sacrificing herself. She should know what that means," he walked over to Merry, "Do you know what it means, Merry?"

"A god chose me," Merry said quietly.

"That thing?" Evy scoffed, "That's the farthest thing from a god, it's a vampire for lack of a better word."

The Doctor pointed at her for the good word, "It'll feed on your soul, but you don't need to give it to him," he looked at Merry, seeing she was still afraid and smiled, "Hey, do you mind if I tell you a story?" he leaned over, Evy moving to sit on a small stone with LJ, the boy now quiet, listening to his daddy's undoubtedly epic speech to come, "One you might not have heard? All the elements in your body were forged many, many millions of years ago, in the heart of a far away star that exploded and died," he knelt before her, "That explosion scattered those elements across the desolations of deep space. After so, _so many_ millions of years, these elements came together to form new stars and new planets. And on and on it went. The elements came together and burst apart," before standing again, "Forming shoes and ships and sealing-wax and cabbages and kings," and moved behind her, putting his hands on her shoulders, "Until eventually, they came together to make you," he squeezed her shoulders, "You're unique in the Universe. There is only _one_ Merry Gejelh. And there will _never_ be another," he moved in front of her again, "Getting rid of that existence isn't a sacrifice. It is a _waste_."

_Dad is so bad…_

Evy cleared her throat.

_Good with...children?_ LJ supplied, though he pouted, but he didn't want to wear another ridiculous outfit again.

"So, if I don't, then everyone else..." Merry murmured slowly.

"Will be fine."

"We'll make sure of it," Evy promised, crossing her hearts.

"How?" Merry asked, eyeing the creature banging on the cage.

He smiled at Evy, "I've learned that there's, surprisingly, always a way."

"Especially when one has a rather magnificent backup plan," Evy smiled back.

"You promise?" Merry asked them.

"Cross my hearts," he crossed them as well, holding out a hand to Merry, she took it, holding it tightly, before looking at Clara and releasing her.

Clara bolted from the cage and looked back to see the mummy bashing itself against it, cracking the glass now, and ran to the aliens, "Having a nice stretch?!"

"It was that or tell you it was trying to break free right behind you when you couldn't move," Evy remarked

Clara blinked, "Right, love the stretching."

They turned and ran for the door, only to stop short, feeling something in the air changing, the ground shaking moments later.

"Something's coming," Clara realized, "What's coming?"

"The Vigil," Merry answered in a shaking voice.

"Who are they then?" Evy asked, trying to hold a squirming LJ to her as he excitedly tried to look around for whatever the Vigil were.

"If the Queen of Years is unwilling to be feasted upon..."

"Yes?" the Doctor looked at her.

"…it's their job to feed her to grandfather," she gasped suddenly, her eyes wide as she stared past them. They turned to see three creatures, pale, with large goggled eyes, no mouths, in black, standing there, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

The Vigil advanced as Evy turned to Clara, handing her LJ, "Watch him," she ordered the girl lightly, before joining the Doctor at his side as they faced the creatures, " _Don't_ you _dare_!"

"Yeah, stay back," he nodded, "We're armed," they pulled out their sonics and flicked them on, "With a screwdriver."

Evy dropped her head a moment before she whacked him in the back of the head, "You had to add THAT?"

He winced but tensed when one of the Vigil bellowed, the force nearly enough to knock them back had it not been for the combined power of two sonics holding them back, countering the sonic frequency being used. They _did_ slide back a bit, their feet making a trail in the dust of the ground, but they remained standing.

The mummy roared in the glass case, seeing the Vigil failing to remove the defenses from around Merry, who had hidden behind Clara as LJ laughed. Clara stared at the boy, how he could be so happy with such danger around them? How he could not be scared?

_My parents are so awesome!_ LJ cheered, making them smile a bit.

Clara shook her head at the boy, he looked like he had the upmost faith that his parents would be able to handle this. Perhaps _that_ was why he was so brave, he knew they'd never let anything hurt him, just like now, "I wish I had faith like that," she muttered to him.

The Vigil held up their hands as the Time Lords took a step closer, creating a force field around them, trying to use it to push the Time Lords back, but they blocked it with their sonics, creating a stalemate.

"Clara!" Evy called, "Get them out of here!"

Clara turned to Merry, "You know all the stories. You must know if there's another way out."

"There's the tale," Merry began, "A secret song. 'The Thief of the Temple and the Nimmer's Door.'"

"And the secret songs open the secret door? How does it go? Can you sing it?"

Merry took a breath and looked to the side, she sang a short melody and a door slid open.

The Time Lords shoved against the force field, forcing the Vigil back a few steps, enough to give the others a clear path to the door.

"Go!" the Doctor ordered.

Clara and Merry ran for the door as LJ squirmed in her arms, _No!_ he shouted, _Mummy! Daddy!_

"It'll be alright," Clara told him, trying to calm him, "They'll be fine, they'll come back. You'll see."

But LJ just struggled more even as the Time Lords did just that, slowly made their way to the door as well. They shared a glance, smirking as they nodded, and flicked their sonics at the Vigil, inverting the force field back at the Vigil, trapping them in their own energy.

"Ha ha!" the Doctor cheered.

"Come on," Evy grabbed his hand and they ran through the door, flashing their sonics to shut it behind them…only to hear the mummy roar and a bright light to blast out of the pyramid, striking the heart of the sun.

"What was that?!" Clara gasped.

The Doctor winced as something exploded in the distance, inside the sun, "I think we may have made a tactical boo-boo. More of a semantics mix up, really."

"What boo-boo?" Clara demanded, bobbing LJ absently as the boy pointed at something over her shoulder.

"We thought the Old God was the same thing as grandfather," Evy sighed, "But it seems the Old God was just his, well, alarm clock."

"Sorry, a bit lost," Clara shook her head, "Who's the Old God? _Is_ there an Old God?"

_Look!_ LJ pointed, calling to his parents as he pointed at the sun, at the funny face starting to appear in it.

"Unfortunately, yes," the Doctor sighed.

"Ook!" LJ shouted, in English this time, still pointing. They looked over Clara's shoulder at the sun as Clara turned to see the star burning brighter, expanding, the face within it turning angry.

"Oh, my stars," Clara stared at it, "What do we do?"

"Against that?" the Doctor scoffed, "I don't know. Do you know? I don't know," he looked at Evy, "Any ideas? Backup plans?"

"But you promised!" Merry called, frightened, "You _promised_!"

"We did," Evy nodded, "We promised."

"He'll eat us all. He'll spread across the system, consuming the Seven Worlds. And when there's no more to eat, he'll embark on a new odyssey among the stars."

"I say leg it," Clara offered.

"Leg it where, exactly?" the Doctor looked at her.

"Don't know. Lake District?"

He grinned, thinking about it, "Oh, the Lake District's lovely," he looked at Evy, "Let's definitely go there. We can eat scones. They do great scones in 1927 and…ow!" he winced as she whacked him, "What was that for?!"

"The sun dear?" she nodded back at it.

"Right, yes," he sighed, eyeing it.

Clara looked between them, seeing the determined glint in their eyes, "You're going to fight it, aren't you?"

"Regrettably, yes," the Doctor murmured, "I think I may be about to do that."

Evy rolled her eyes, taking his hand, "WE may be about to do that."

He looked at her, startled, but she just gave him a look, and he smiled, kissing her forehead.

"It's really big," Clara frowned.

"We've seen bigger," Evy told her.

"Really?!"

"Are you joking?" the Doctor shook his head, "It's _massive_."

"Much like your ego," Evy remarked, "So yes, I _have_ seen bigger."

"I'm really not that bad," he pouted.

She just laughed and leaned in to kiss his cheek, "Keep telling yourself that dear."

"I'm staying with you two," Clara decided, nodding her head, LJ nodding as well, determined.

"No, you're not," the Doctor shook his head.

"Yes, I am. I can...assist."

"No, you can't."

"Me!" LJ looked at his daddy.

He sighed, his hearts breaking to have to tell him this, "No, you can't either boyo."

They had NO idea what the sun was capable of, what it could do, what would happen, they could NOT risk LJ being there, getting caught in the middle of it.

"What about that stuff you said?" Clara shook her head, feeling almost as let down as LJ clearly was, "'We don't walk away.'"

"No," the Doctor nodded, "We _don't_ walk away," and then he looked at LJ in her arms, "But when we're holding on to something precious, we run. We run and run, as fast as we can, and we don't stop running until we're out from under the shadow."

Evy smiled, kissing LJ's head, "You need to take him Clara, you need to keep him safe while we deal with this," she looked at the girl, "Take the moped and get back to the TARDIS, she'll know what to do if anything happens."

The Doctor kissed LJ too, pulling off the papoose to hand to Clara, the boy waving at them, quiet, serious, but having all the faith in the world that they'd come back to him as they walked away, hand-in-hand, to face the enemy.

The Time Lords stepped through a door, sonicing it open, out onto a small platform, facing the sun, "Any ideas?" the Doctor asked Evy, "Backup plans?"

"Give me a mo," she murmured, shifting, eyeing the sun.

He nodded, knowing the answer, not at the moment, "Righty-ho, then."

~8~

Clara landed the moped, LJ strapped to her front, facing her, wanting to keep him as safe as the Doctor and Evy always did her. Merry was behind her, clinging to her as they landed back before the audience, hopping off and walking to the edge, watching the pyramid as the audience murmured behind them.

~8~

"Lordy," the Doctor murmured, squeezing Evy's hand.

"Well," Evy nodded, "I think that sums it up."

~8~

"Aren't they frightened?" Merry looked at Clara.

"Yes!" LJ said, glaring at the girl a bit, blaming her just a little for the plight of his parents, it seemed he had a bit of his father's protective streak in him as well.

"They'll be alright though," Clara reassured the boy, running her fingers through his short hair, making it stick up.

"I want to help," Merry said.

"So do I," Clara nodded.

"Sing!" LJ shouted.

"What?" Clara looked at him.

"Sing!" LJ repeated, waving his little arms, "Sing! Sing!"

"What do you mean 'sing?'"

LJ gave her a rather unamused look, _I'd have thought the meaning of 'sing' was obvious!_

"Oi don't give me that look young man, I know what sing means," Clara pointed at him, unable to understand him but guessing what he'd said by his expression.

Oh lord, she was spending far too much time around the baby if she could pick up what he was saying in his baby talk.

"Me-wee sing!" he insisted, pointing at the platform, rather irritated that 1. his parents weren't there to translate. 2. the humans couldn't understand him unless he blubbered like a baby. 3. his parents weren't there...which meant he was about to miss one of the most epic speeches his daddy could give!

_Not fair!_ He huffed.

"No it isn't," Clara murmured, seeing his huff and pout, "Merry," she looked at the girl, "Do you know any songs that could help?"

Merry was quiet for a moment, thinking, before she nodded and turned, getting onto the pedestal, "Rest now, my warrior," she sang, "Rest now, hardship is over..."

~8~

The Doctor and Evy looked at each other and smiled, knowing their son had had a hand in that, "Your son," the Doctor kissed her, "Doing the impossible," he remarked as everyone began to sing, only a baby, their baby, would be able to do that.

"They've still got nothing on you dear," she patted his cheek as they turned to the star, hand-in-hand, ready to face anything together, especially if it meant getting back to their child.

"Ok, then. That's what we'll do. We'll tell you a story."

"The story from that song down there," she pointed, "Can you hear it? They're singing loudly enough."

"All these people who've lived in terror of you and your judgment? All these people whose ancestors devoted themselves, sacrificed themselves, to you...can you hear them singing?"

"They worshiped you," Evy frowned, "And what did you do? You took the things they valued most, you made yourself out to be a god!"

"But you're not a god. You're just a parasite, eaten out with jealousy and envy and longing for the lives of others. You feed on them. On the memory of love and loss and birth and death and joy and sorrow."

"Well then, if that's how it's got to be," she squeezed the Doctor's hand, "Take ours. Take _our_ memories."

"But I hope you've got a big appetite," the Doctor warned, "Because we've lived long lives and we've seen a few things..."

They winced as the light from the sun reached out and touched them, pulling on their souls, trying to eat them entirely but they resisted, they had something to resist for.

"We walked away from the Last Great Time War," Evy shouted at it, their hands turning white as they held each other.

"We both marked the passing of the Time Lords!"

"We sparked the birth of the Universe...and we were the cause of time running out, watching it happen, moment by moment, until nothing remained. No time. No space. Just us."

"I've walked in Universes where the laws of physics were devised by the mind of a madman."

"I've grown up _beside_ a madman whose rage nearly brought an end to the Universes."

"I've watched Universes freeze and creations burn."

"I've seen things you wouldn't believe."

"And we've lost things you'll never understand."

"And found things that are worth fighting for!"

"And we know things. Secrets that must never be told. Knowledge that must never be spoken. Knowledge that will make parasite gods blaze!"

Evy laughed as the Doctor tweaked his bow-tie with one hand, "So get on with it then!" she shouted, "You want it! Come and claim it!"

The sun swirled around them, pulling at them, sucking at them, trying to take everything from them, but couldn't absorb anything completely, it fed off their memories, off their pasts, off the memories of memories but stole nothing from them, they wouldn't let it take it from them. The sun grew dark as they panted, turning to hug each other tightly, hoping they'd succeeded, hoping they'd won...

~8~

LJ pouted, his arms crossed, he'd heard it, in his mind, the epic speech made all the more epic by his father AND his mother giving it, and he'd MISSED IT! How rubbish was that?!

But then, just as Merry finished singing...there was an explosion as the sun expanded, blazing, the face back and angry as ever.

"Mummy!" LJ wiggled in Clara's arms, "Daddy!"

Clara looked down at the baby, recalling how her mother had always promised to be there, to find her, how the Doctor and Evy had sworn to never walk away, something it seemed, their son had as well, and nodded, "Let's go LJ!" she turned and ran to the moped.

~8~

"You're _kidding_ me!" Evy huffed as they clung to each other, staring at the sun.

~8~

LJ cheered, making Clara smile, as they raced to the asteroid, skidding to a halt at the side of it, and clambering off, rushing through the doors and into the side room to see a very weary looking Doctor and Evy. She curled her hand around LJ's back, for some reason wanting the boy with her as she faced the sun, much like Evy and the Doctor had had each other. It was weird because it was a baby but...she felt...safe, with LJ, like he was just so confident nothing would happen, that she felt that same safety when she held him despite having only held him a handful of times.

"Still hungry?" she called to the sun, walking to the edge, turning just a little to the side so LJ could see as well instead of looking over his shoulder. She glanced down at LJ as he crossed his arms and tried to glare at the sun, trying to seem intimidating but just looked adorable. She smiled softly at that, and held something out, the leaf from her book, "Well, I brought something for you. This. The most important leaf in human history. _The most important_ leaf in human history. It's full of stories, full of history. And full of a future that never got lived. Days that should have been that never were. Passed on to me," she frowned, glancing at the Doctor and Evy as she thought on what she said, on her mother, her passing, the...three people she'd seen in the graveyard when she had looked back for just a moment, two people and a baby...

"Leaf!" LJ nodded, agreeing with her.

She pulled her attention back to the sun, "This leaf isn't just the past, it's a whole future that never happened. There are billions and millions of unlived days for every day we live. An infinity. All the days that never came. And these are all my mum's," her voice broke at that and LJ put his little hand on her hand at his side, her arm around him, wanting the nice lady to not be sad anymore.

They watched as a small swirl of yellow light drifted out from the sun to the leaf and began to absorb it, disintegrate it into tiny particles of light.

"Well, come on then," the Doctor walked over, his arm around Evy's waist, both of them worn but supporting the other, "Eat up. Are you full? I expect so because there's quite a difference, isn't there, between what was and what should have been?"

"There's only a set amount of what's happened, but the future has infinitely more possibilities," Evy added, "And that, is _far more_ than you can handle."

They watched as the leaf vanished and the light drifted back to the sun...which imploded moments later, casting them into darkness.

"YAY!" LJ squealed, breaking the solemn moment as he clapped and laughed.

"Oh boyo, you're a little _too much_ like me aren't you?" the Doctor laughed, rubbing the boy's head as he squirmed.

"Come here," Evy reached out to take him from Clara...only for the boy to cry 'No!' and cling to Clara's hair. Evy had to laugh at that, "The TARDIS may not like you but I think LJ loves you."

Clara giggled and patted the baby on his back as he babbled at her, half in English, half in Baby.

"Well done Clara," Evy continued, smiling at her, "Excellent backup plan."

Clara beamed, "Well, you mentioned them so much, I thought why not give it a shot."

The Doctor laughed, "Brilliant."

~8~

The TARDIS appeared outside the Maitland home, dropping Clara off five minutes after she'd gone. She smiled, patting LJ on the head as she finished playing dinosaurs with him and headed for the doors.

"Home again, home again, jiggity-jig!" the Doctor was saying.

She looked outside, "It looks different."

"Surprisingly it's all right," Evy remarked, "Same house, city, planet, day," she smiled at the Doctor, "I am _very_ impressed."

He just grinned and pointed at her.

"You were there," Clara closed the door and came back to them, "At mum's grave. You were watching. What were you doing there?"

"Don't know," the Doctor shrugged, turning to the controls as Evy went to kneel by LJ and see what he was up to, "We were just...making sure."

"Of what?"

"Ozzy!" LJ clapped.

"Who?" Clara frowned.

"You remind us of someone," Evy explained, "She died."

"Well, whoever she was, I'm not her, ok?" she crossed her arms, "If you want me to travel with you, that's fine. But as me. Not a bargain basement stand-in for someone else. I not going to compete with a ghost."

"I understand," Evy nodded, getting up to go put a hand on Clara's shoulder, "You're not a ghost Clara, and you're not a replacement, you're just... _you_."

She could empathize with Clara. At first, when she'd first started travelling with the Doctor, she'd feared that, if he he knew she was a Time Lady, she might just be seen as a replacement for Rose, as a woman he could love like he had loved (or at least deeply cared for) Rose. She hadn't wanted to be a way out of a lonely existance, she hadn't wanted to be a replacement for Rose's memory.

"Oh, here!" the Doctor called, tossing Clara something, her mother's ring, "They wanted you to have it."

"Who did?" Clara asked, kissing it.

"Everyone."

"All the people you saved," Evy added.

Clara smiled and slipped the ring on, turning to head out the doors, the Time Lords watching her go a moment longer before dashing back to the console, eager to find out who she was.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol, could you picture Clara facing down the star with LJ strapped to her front? It's almost as funny as picturing the Doctor going 'Oncoming Storm' with LJ pouting in and hanging off him in a papoose. Lol, I'd pay to see that happen ;)
> 
> We're definitely going to see Evy and the Doctor being more cautious of Clara in this story than in the show, just because they really CAN'T risk just accepting whatever mystery she is with LJ there, they will NOT risk their son for anything :)
> 
> Next chapter...we'll see LJ in another outfit and discover what LJ calls the TARDIS, and Clara gets a compliment :)


	18. Cold War (Part 1)

In a Soviet submarine deep in the ocean, men scrambled around in crisis as the craft began to sink, taking on water, the alarms blaring, clearly under attack from...something.

"Hold the bridge, port side!" the second-in-command ordered.

"Evasive maneuvers!" the captain, an older man, cried.

Another young man ran to the controls, looking at the monitors, "Descending to 200 meters."

"We're under attack!" a crewman reported over the comms..

"210!"

The hull creaked above them as they continued on their descent as the captain shouted, "Bring her up, bring her up!"

"It's no good, sir!"

And suddenly…a wheezing noise filled the room as a bright blue, police telephone box appeared out of nowhere in the middle of it.

The Doctor opened the doors, a pair of big sunglasses on his face and...a small toddler strapped to his front, "Viva Las Vegas!" he shouted as the toppled out of the doors as the sub tilted, nearly sending him falling into the controls before him, bracing himself on his hands to avoid harming the boy.

"Doctor?" Evy called as she and Clara reached the doors…only to be thrown out as well, right through a cascade of water falling from above. Evy had forgone any sort of costume, though Clara was wearing a lovely short silver dress.

"Intruder on the bridge!" the second reported.

"Who the hell are you?" the captain cried as the blonde woman made her way over to the baby, trying to help the floppy-haired man cover it, clearly the boy's parents.

"Not Vegas then!" Clara shouted above the alarms.

"No," the Doctor grinned, putting his sunglasses away.

_This. is. AWESOME!_ LJ cheered excitedly, despite being dressed as a miniature Elvis, complete with white 'disco' suit, black wig, and big sunglasses. Evy HAD learned about the string of words he'd used when she'd been taken by the Great Intelligence and had NOT been happy that they had tried to keep it from her.

The Doctor had just replied 'boy code' and that he hadn't wanted his son to be humiliated in costume again. Evy had rolled her eyes and remarked it was too late for that given his genes. The Doctor had pouted, till she kissed him.

"Too right you are boyo!" the Doctor laughed, patting his head, "This is _much_ better!"

Evy just shook her head at how her boys were bonding over danger, LJ truly _was_ his father's son, as she pushed their wet hair from their faces, "If he gets ill because of all this water, I'm gonna kill you," she warned the Doctor.

He just gave her a kiss.

"A sinking submarine?" Clara shook her head, unable to get over how that was a _good_ thing.

"A sinking _Soviet_ submarine!" the Doctor cheered, helping get LJ out of his papoose and over to Evy so the girl could try to cover him more from the water.

"Break out side arms!" the second ordered, "Restrain them!"

"410," the other crewman called, "420! Turbines still not responding!"

"They've _got_ to!" the captain spun to him.

Evy frowned and pulled out her sonic, holding it up as she scanned, "Use your sideways momentum," she told the captain, "They're still online."

"What?"

Evy rolled her eyes, "Propellers work independently from the main turbines. You may not be able to stop her sinking but you can at least move to the side."

"Get these people off the bridge now!" the second shouted, pointing at them as two men grabbed the Doctor's arms, neither feeling right grabbing a woman or a woman with a baby.

"Just listen to her, for God's sake!" Clara cried.

"There's a geographic anomaly to starboard, an underwater ridge, if you can rest on it, it'll stop us."

"How do you know this?" the captain shook his head.

"Look," the Doctor cut in, a bit alarmed at _how far down_ they were, he hadn't thought they were THAT far before, "We have just a chance to stop the descent if we settle on it. Do it!"

"600 meters, sir," the crewman stated, making the Time Lords wince, "610..."

"Or this thing is going to implode!"

"Lateral thrust to starboard, all propellers!" the captain shouted.

"Sir?" the crewman turned around.

"Now!"

"You're going to let this woman give the orders?" the second stared at the captain, stunned.

"Oi!" Evy reached out and whacked the man, making the Doctor laugh loudly at that, he was so used to her doing that to HIM.

"Lateral thrust!" the captain repeated.

"Aye, sir!" the crewman nodded, working the controls, "660...680..."

The sub shook a moment but stopped going down, everything calming if just a bit. The Time Lords breathed a sigh of relief, hugging LJ a bit.

_Aw man_ , the boy pouted, crossing his little arms at how the danger was gone now.

"Your son," Evy shook her head, "Completely and utterly _yours_."

He just grinned and winked at LJ for that.

"Descent arrested at...700 meters," the crewman breathed.

"It seems we owe you our lives," the captain looked at her, "Whoever you are."

"I'll add it to my tally," Evy laughed, "This dunce owes me quite a bit," she nodded at the Doctor.

"Oi!" he laughed, kissing her quickly, "I always more than make up for it when we get back to the TARDIS don't I?"

She smirked a bit at that, he certainly did.

"We'll hold you to that though," he pointed at the captain, "Might come in handy!"

"Search them," the second cut in, but the crew stared at him, "Yes, I know, it's a woman and another with a baby. Now search them!"

The crewmen sighed but had to do as ordered, moving the three against a pole in the center of the bridge, "Eh?" the Doctor squirmed, "Ooh!"

"Are we going to be ok?" Clara glanced at the Doctor.

"Oh, yes."

"Is that a lie?"

"Possibly."

Evy scoffed, " _Definitely_ ," before sighing and bobbing LJ a bit, "What do you think LJ? Hmm? When are we?"

LJ pouted in concentration as he looked around. It was a natural ability of Time Lords to sense the times they landed in, but LJ was just starting to develop it and put dates to the feelings of temporal displacement. They were encouraging of it but not outright expecting him to always do it.

_The…1980s?_ he guessed, looking up at his mother.

"Very good," she kissed his head, making him both beam in praise and scrunch his face and try to wipe off his head from the kiss. She laughed at that and looked at Clara, "The 1980s Clara is the era of the Cold War. Both sides ready to go to war, but both able to realize," she looked pointedly at the captain in warning, "How _dangerous_ and _devastating_ and _stupid_ that would be to launch the first attack."

"Yes, lots of itchy fingers on the button," the Doctor nodded.

"Isn't it always like that?" Clara scoffed.

"Sort of. But there are flash points and this is one, hair, shoulder pads, nukes. It's the '80s. Everything's bigger!" he frowned as the crew went from patting him down to actually searching his pockets, seeming to try to keep away from actually having to search Evy and Clara at the moment, "I'd like a receipt, please," he frowned, trying to grab the sonic they'd taken, along with his ball of twine, and a brown-haired Barbie doll…

"Oi!" Evy shifted LJ, making a grab for her sonic as it was pulled from her holster as well, "Gimme!"

The Doctor laughed and looked at her, "You really are starting to sound like me dear."

She rolled her eyes, "Well I've got _two_ of you to contend with now, makes it a bit harder to be me eh?"

He blinked, starting to frown a little, he didn't want her to lose that sense of who she was by being, not just his Link, but LJ's mother, she was Evy, she was Luna, she was the impossible girl, not even Clara could take that title from her as she'd be the impossible _human_ girl. And Clara would never be HIS impossible girl.

Evy just smiled, sensing his thoughts, and leaned over to kiss his cheek, "And I wouldn't have it any other way, I love my titles," she whispered to him, smiling at him, ' _The Time Lady Luna, Link of the Doctor, Mother of Sigma, best titles ever._ '

He beamed at that.

"What are these?" the captain looked at the two sonics, holding them up.

"Oh don't do that!" Evy shouted.

But it was too late, he'd flicked them on, creating a horrible high-pitched noise that echoed throughout the ship till he cut it off, the force of it actually seemed to shake the ship a bit and it creaked, tilting dangerously.

"Clara!" Evy gasped, having been right next to her as the girl lost her balance and fell.

"Ah!" Clara gasped.

"Clara!" the Doctor reached for her, but she fell to the side, hitting her head, a crew member managing to catch her, when suddenly the wheezing started again, "No, no, no, no! No, not now!"

_Daddy?_ LJ looked at his father, _Where did the TARDIS go?_

Evy laughed, shaking her head, "Care to take that one dear?"

He just shook his head, rubbing it.

~8~

Clara winced, feeling herself starting to come around, which was just as well, the dream she'd been having...if it was a dream and not just her head going funny from being hit...was...weird. It was flashes really, sounds too, but disjointed and odd and hard to place. She could hear music, three songs, some sort of soft melody that blended into Habanera of all things, before...someone whistling Silent Night would echo through it...and then a terrible jolting noise shot through the sounds, like...that noise the base-station had made before it hit her with its beam, like a laser shot. And the images, a flash of blue, always, ever since she was a child, at least once every few months, she'd have a nightmare. It would start nice and calm, she'd feel happy and safe and warm, standing outside with the warm light on her face, a breeze on her skin, then she's see a flash of red, orange, and silver, before the sounds would happen, making everything fade. When that jolting noise struck...she'd be scared, because it would go dark, black, she'd be trapped and alone and lost and just _so scared_...and then there would be a flash of blue, and she'd feel calm again, safe, loved...and then she'd wake up.

Like now.

"CARA!" LJ cheered as Clara slowly woke up to see Evy sitting beside her against a wall of the sub, LJ in her lap, absently playing with the baby as she watched the Doctor argue with the captain.

"Hello," she winced, rubbing her head as LJ crawled over Evy's lap and into hers, tugging on her hair, excited that she was awake again and could play with him. She'd become a sort of playmate for him at times. Evy smiled at that, bending her legs up to rest her arms on her knees, Clara tugging the black jacket Evy had given her of her outfit tighter, the Time Lady seeming unaffected by the chill of the water, despite being dressed in just her black pants and teal shirt.

"Captain, we didn't know the type of your ship out here..." the Doctor was trying to explain.

"Yeah, well, that's till the rescue ship comes," the captain countered.

" _If_ it comes!" the Doctor grumbled, not at all happy that the TARDIS had run off and left them and LJ there. Oh that ship would get a stern talking to when he was done.

"Oh, the sinking is just a coincidence, is it? Who _are_ you?"

"Come on," Evy helped Clara up, just as the captain shoved the Doctor against the wall.

"Alright, Captain, alright," the Doctor sighed, holding up his hands, "You know what? Just this once, no dissembling, no psychic paper, no pretending to be an Earth ambassador. Doctor, Evy," he nodded at her, "LJ," and him, "And Clara, time travelers. Clara, you ok?"

"Think so," she nodded.

"I'd be able to tell you for sure," Evy began, before shooting a glare at the captain, "But SOMEONE took my sonic!"

"Time travelers?" the captain scoffed, ignoring her for the moment.

"We appeared out of thin air, in the middle of your sub, in a wooden box," Evy pointed out, moving beside the Doctor as Clara held LJ, "You tell me if that seems normal to you."

The Doctor nodded and pointed at them, "You saw it happen!"

" _I_ didn't," an old man mumbled, standing with the crew, a pair of headphones on, having been listening to music.

"Your problem, mate, not mine!"

"We were sinking..." Clara began, recalling that.

"Unfortunately," Evy sighed.

"What happened?"

"We sank," the Doctor answered.

"No, what happened to the TARDIS, I mean?"

"Never mind that."

Evy rolled her eyes, leave it to him to not admit his fault in it.

"Listen...captain, breath's precious down here. My Link and my _son_ are here. Let's not waste it, eh?"

"You're right, maybe I can save a little oxygen by having you all shot?" the captain glared.

"Touch a hair on my son's head and that will be the _end_ of you," Evy threatened him, taking a step closer.

"What does it matter how we arrived?" Clara tried to ease the tense situation, "The important thing is to get..." she trailed off, her eyes wide as she saw a creature in thick armor moving down the hall, towards them, right behind the Doctor and Evy, "Out…"

"Exactly!" the Doctor grinned.

_Mummy…_ LJ began, knowing his father could be a bit deaf at times.

' _What is it?_ ' she frowned.

"Number one priority, not suffocating!" the Doctor patted the captain as the man stepped back, stunned, as the creature came to a halt behind them.

_There's an Ice Warrior behind you,_ LJ told her.

Evy blinked and looked over her shoulder, seeing it standing there, and slowly began to back away, hoping the Doctor would notice…

She should have known better.

"Thank you!" the Doctor clapped his hands at being released, "Finally, seeing sense! Now, what sort of state is the sub in?"

"Doctor," Evy cut in, pointing.

He turned around to see a reptilian mouth beneath heavy armor.

"Ah..." he started to back away, the creature following him, "It never rains but it pours."

"We were drilling for oil in the ice," the old man in the back called, "I thought I'd found a mammoth."

' _So he's a professor of some sort then,_ ' Evy remarked.

"It's not a mammoth," the Doctor told the man, nodding at Evy's assumption.

"No."

"What is it, then?" Clara stepped back, clutching LJ closer, she always felt very protective when it came to children. Didn't know why, never had any siblings or young cousins, hadn't been around them much, but just loved taking care of them, seeing them smile and laugh and making sure they were safe. Her dad had said her mum was much the same though.

"An Ice Warrior," Evy said, smiling back at LJ, "Very good guess dear."

"A native of the planet Mars," the Doctor added, "And we go way back. Way back."

"A Martian?" the captain rolled his eyes, "You _can't_ be serious."

"I'm always serious."

"Liar," Evy muttered.

"With days off."

"Doctor!" Clara hissed.

"Just keeping it light, Clara, they're scared."

" _They're_ scared? _I'm_ scared! LJ's probably scared too!"

But LJ was nothing of the sort, wiggling in Clara's arms, waving his own at the Ice Warrior, wanting a closer look at one in real life.

Evy sighed, "You'd hope so wouldn't you?" she rubbed her head, pointing at the Doctor, "This is _not_ looking good for his sense of self-preservation."

"Oi," the Doctor laughed, "He didn't get THAT just from me," he pointed out.

She had to nod at that, "Good thing he's got River," she muttered quietly.

"Good thing she's got him," the Doctor countered, smiling at Evy…

And then one of the crew ran up and aimed a gun at the Ice Warrior, causing him to lift his own weapon.

"No, no, no, no, no, no!" the Doctor jolted forward, "Please, please, wait! Just...there's no need for this! Just hear me out! You're confused, disoriented, of course you are. You've been lying dormant in the ice for...for how long?" he looked at Evy.

"If I had my sonic, I could tell you," she huffed, looking back at the professor, "How long, professor?"

"By my reckoning, 5,000 years," the man shrugged.

"5,000 years?" the Doctor whistled, turning back to the warrior, "That's a hell of a nap. Can't blame you if you've got out of the wrong side of bed."

"Look," Evy cut in, stepping to his side, "No one wants to hurt you," without looking she reached to eth side and pushed the crewman's hand down, "So please, how about we start with names hmm? I'm Evy…"

"What're you talking about?" the captain stared at her, "It has a _name_?"

Evy rolled her eyes, face palming as the Doctor smirked, it wasn't often she got exasperated with humans, "Of course HE has a name, and a rank obviously," she gestured at the armor.

"Yes, this is a soldier," the Doctor nodded, "And it deserves our respect."

"This is _madness_ ," the captain spat, "That is a monster!"

"Skaldak," the Ice Warrior cut in.

The Doctor and Evy stiffened, both recognizing the name as the Doctor turned to him slowly, "What did you say?"

"I am Grand Marshal Skaldak."

The Doctor closed his eyes, blindly reaching for Evy's hand as she swallowed, "Oh, no…" he breathed as Skaldak growled…

Suddenly the alien pitched forward as electricity struck him, collapsing, for them to see the second-in-command behind him with a cattle prod, the electricity exacerbated by the water around them.

"You idiot!" Evy shouted at him.

"Grand Marshal Skaldak…" the Doctor just stared at the fallen alien, alarmed.

"You... know him?" Clara asked quietly, even LJ quieting down at the sudden play of events.

"Sovereign of the Tharsisian caste, vanquisher of the Phobos heresy. The greatest hero the proud Martian race has ever produced."

"So what do we do now?" the captain asked.

The Doctor squeezed Evy's hand, "Lock...him...up!"

~8~

Evy bobbed LJ up and down as the boy fussed, wanting to have had a closer look at Skaldak, but the adults _refused_ to let him near the alien which made him all huffy.

"The Ice Warriors have a different creed, Clara," the Doctor was saying as they stood in the communications room with the captain, his second, and the professor, "A different code. By his own standards, Skaldak is a hero. It was said his enemies honored him so much they'd carve his name into their own flesh before they died."

"Oh, yeah, very nice," Clara frowned, "He sounds lovely."

"An Ice Warrior?" the captain rubbed his face, "Explain."

"We really don't have the time," Evy shook her head, looking at the Doctor.

"Try me."

"Oh for the love of…" Evy huffed, before rattling on quickly, sounding very much like the Doctor, "The natives of Mars are reptiles, Ice Warriors, when it turned cold they adapted to bio-mechanoid cyborgs utilizing survival armor to exist in the cold but changing the temperature sends the armor haywire. Good enough for you?"

"Like with the cattle prod thing?" Clara blinked, trying to keep up and surprisingly managing it.

"Exactly," Evy nodded, "Really ridiculous and easy to fix, thinking about it, and…" she blinked, "I JUST told you we didn't have the time!"

"Is he _that_ dangerous?" Clara tensed.

The Doctor sighed and kissed LJ's head, actually worried, "This one is."

They glanced over when they heard a beeping noise come from the professor's walkman headphones.

"Why are we listening to this nonsense, Captain?" the second turned to him, "These people are clearly enemy agents."

"Eh?" Clara raised an eyebrow.

"Spies, captain!"

"Pretty bad spies, mate. I don't even speak Russian!"

The Time Lords shook their heads as the second just looked at her, "What?"

"I don't..." Clara began, before she noticed the looks on the Time Lords' faces, "Am I speaking Russian? How come I'm speaking Russian?"

"Now?" the Doctor sighed, "We have to do this now?"

"Are they speaking Russian?" Clara asked.

"Seriously? _Now_?!"

"Tardy!" LJ cheered, he couldn't quite pronounce TARDIS, so it ended up being either Tardy half the time when he said it out loud.

"It's the TARDIS translation matrix," Evy added, "Makes things English and vice versa."

The second shook his head and looked at the captain again, "In my opinion, Comrade Captain, this creature is a Western weapon."

"Are they..." Clara continued.

"Yes," Evy laughed, "They're Russian."

"A weapon?" the captain seemed hesitant to believe it.

"Survival suit," the second elaborated, "What is the alternative? The little green man from Mars?"

"Correction," the professor called, "It's a _big_ green man from Mars."

LJ giggled, _I like him_.

"Us too," Evy smiled at the man, even the captain chuckled.

"I do not appreciate your levity, Professor," the second sneered at him.

"Why does that not surprise me?" the professor remarked calmly, "Maybe they're telling the truth."

"The truth?"

"Yes. A revolutionary concept, I know. However, it is my understanding that women with babies tend to speak the truth," he winked at Evy who nodded in thanks.

"It's essential that we inform Moscow of what we have found!"

"The radio's out of action, in case you hadn't noticed, Stepashin," the captain sighed at the man's fanaticism.

"They have our last position. They will find us. When they do..."

"Yes?"

"Well, the cold war won't stay cold forever, Captain."

Evy and the Doctor opened their mouths to reassert that the cold war didn't have to start with THEM when the captain beat them to it, "For God's sake, Stepashin, you're like a stuck record! We have other priorities right now. I want you back on repairs immediately, we need to keep this ship alive. Dismissed."

The second turned and strode to the Doctor, staring him down, "Sir..."

"Dismissed, Stepashin!" the captain stood.

The second glared before shoving out of the room, brushing past Evy in the process, making her stumble and glare at him, LJ sticking out his little tongue at the man being so rude to his dear old mum.

"All we needed to do was let Skaldak go and he'd have forgotten us," the Doctor told the captain seriously, "But you've attacked him. You declared war. 'Harm one of us and you harm us all.' That's the ancient Martian code."

"That beeping," Evy nodded to the professor, " _That's_ Skaldak's distress call to his brothers, hoping they'll come rescue him."

"Yes, he'll bring down the fires of hell just for laying a glove on him!" the Doctor glared, feeling the protective instinct that came with fatherhood, his SON was there, his child was in danger because of this man…

Evy reached out and took his hand, shifting LJ into his arms, knowing that being close to each other truly did help calm both boys down. The Doctor let out a breath and kissed LJ's head, swearing no harm would come to the boy, _not ever_.

"Unless you talk to it?" the captain guessed.

"I'm the only one who can," the Doctor sighed, while Evy was more than capable, she had seen every encounter he'd had with them in his mind, he had _personal_ experience with the Ice Warriors. If push came to shove and he had to reveal himself as a Time Lord, they'd react and give pause to 'the Doctor' more so than 'Evy.'

"No. Out of the question. We're not losing you. I'll do it."

"What?"

"You can talk to it through me."

"Skaldak won't talk to you," Evy shook her head, "To him, you're an enemy soldier."

"How would he know that?"

"A soldier knows another soldier."

The Doctor nodded, "He'll smell it on you! Smell it on you a mile off."

"And he wouldn't smell it on _you_ , Doctor?" the captain eyed him.

The Doctor paused at that, "Just let me in there before it's too late. It can't be you or any of your men."

"Well, it can't be you or your woman!"

"Link," Evy huffed, "And the _only_ reason I can't go is he'd smell me as an alien like him," and nodded at the Doctor.

Clara cleared her throat as they looked at her, "Well, there really is only _one_ choice, isn't there? I don't smell of anything...to my knowledge."

_Lavenders, vanilla, and apples,_ LJ said promptly, wiggling his nose at her.

Clara laughed as though she could understand him and ticked his stomach, "Thanks?" she looked at the Time Lords, "I think?"

Evy nodded, "He likes how you smell."

"Yes, very nice for a human," the Doctor nodded, before realizing what Clara had just offered, "No! No! No way. You're not going in there alone, Clara. Absolutely not! No, no. Never!" they stared at him and he sighed, drooping, "I'm about to be outnumbered aren't I?"

"Yes," the women said, the captain nodding as well.

~8~

The Doctor and Evy watched from the communications room as Clara entered the torpedo room, seeing her through a security camera set up, Skaldak still appearing to be chained up, LJ in the Doctor's lap as the captain and Evy stood behind him, the professor sitting against a back wall.

"Ready, Clara?" the Doctor called as Clara looked up at them and smiled.

"Yeah."

"Ok," he took a breath, "Grand Marshal Skaldak…" they began when Evy leaned over.

"Don't forget the salute," Evy told her, "Just like we showed you."

Clara nodded and put her torch between her legs, pressing her right fist to her left shoulder, and grabbing the torch again, "Ok?"

"Very," Evy nodded even though Clara couldn't see her.

"Now, like we rehearsed," the Doctor continued, telling her what to say, "Sovereign of the Tharsisian caste, by the moons, I honor thee."

"Brilliant Clara," Evy reassured her, "LJ's clapping for you," she added, seeing the boy doing just that, "Get a little closer."

"Grand Marshal," the Doctor went on as Clara did that, "We're sorry about this. It's not what you deserve…"

They looked up suddenly when the power cut in the ship, thankfully the monitor still working.

"Oh!" Clara gasped, "Oh, great."

"It's alright Clara," Evy reassured her, "Keep going."

Clara grabbed a small hand torch and stepped closer as the Doctor spoke again, "You're a long way from home. 5,000 years adrift in time. Please, let us help you. You're not our enemy."

"And yet, I am in chains," Skaldak rasped.

"Doctor," Clara hesitated, "What do I say? Evy?"

"Yes, Doctor. What should she say?"

"I think he wants to speak to the organ-grinder, not to the monkey," the professor commented.

"I heard that," Clara griped but pulled down her headset so that the Doctor could speak clearly to Skaldak himself.

"You're restrained until we can trust each other, Skaldak," the Doctor explained, "My son is on this ship, my Link, I am _not_ about to risk their lives. You would do exactly the same in my position and don't even think about using that sonic weapon. Not in the torpedo room."

"I was fleet commander of the Nix Tharsis," Skaldak growled, "My daughter stood by me...it was her first taste of action. We sang the songs of the old times. The songs of the red snow. 5,000 years, now my daughter will be...dust! Only _dust_."

"No, no, no, listen. Your people live on, Skaldak! Scattered all across the Universe. And Mars will rise again, we promise you. Just, let us help you."

"Clara what are you doing?" Evy asked as Clara started to inch closer to Skaldak.

"I require no help," the alien sneered, "There will be no help!"

"Clara, don't get too close!"

"I'm ok," Clara breathed.

"Clara, really, keep away!"

"I'm ok!" Clara insisted, before they could see her frown, "Hold on…something's wrong."

"What?" they asked.

"Something's..." she reached out and touched the armor, the helmet falling back, it was empty!, "It's not there! It's gone!"

They saw the armor open, the advanced technology bared, but Skaldak nowhere to be seen.

"Gone?" the Doctor shook his head, "Gone? Gone, what do you mean, _gone_?!"

"It's got out!"

"It is time I learned the measure of my enemies," Skaldak called, though they couldn't see him, "And what this vessel is capable of. Harm one of us and you harm us all! By the moons, this I swear!"

"RUN!" LJ yelled at Clara, hitting his hands on the small panel before him, trying to do what his daddy did, push random buttons and hope it helped.

"Clara get out of there!" Evy shouted, "Get out!"

The Doctor stood, Evy quickly helping to strap LJ to the man's back, high enough to see over his shoulder, but behind him in case they ran face-to-face with Skaldak as they headed to the door…

Only for the captain to grab his gun and aim it at them.

"We've never seen one do this before!" the Doctor spun around, "Actually, I've never seen one out of its armor before."

The captain stared at them a moment before lowering his gun, allowing them to rush off after Clara.

"Won't it be more vulnerable out of its shell?" the professor called, moving to follow them.

"You'd think," Evy sighed, pausing in the doorway, "But he's desperate, he's more dangerous than ever right now."

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh LJ, you should know better than to try and hide things from your mum, mother always finds out :) Lol, but can you imagine him dressed as a little Elvis? :) I'm really looking forward to the next chapter though, I really loved the professor in this episode :)
> 
> Next chapter...LJ wants another dangerous animal. Evy's got a backup plan. But...what's up with the Barbie doll?


	19. Cold War (Part 2)

"Clara!" the Doctor shouted as they ran towards the torpedo room, "Clara!"

"CARA!" LJ cried also, worried for his new friend.

They made it to the door to the room, just as it blasted open and a streak of green flew past them, but they gave it no mind as they ran to the passage, seeing Clara standing on the other side, shaken.

"Clara!"" Evy gasped as she reached in and pulled Clara through, hugging the girl as the Doctor did too, "Are you alright?"

"I'm ok," she nodded, "Ha ha, I'm ok," she moved onto her tippy toes and patted LJ's head as he peeked at her over the Doctor's shoulder, "I'm ok!" she promised the boy, making him beam at her, "Where did he go? How did I do? Was I ok?"

"This wasn't a test, Clara," the Doctor told her.

"But you did fantastic!" Evy added.

"Really?" she looked at her.

"LJ thought it was great," she laughed.

"Aww," Clara smiled at the baby, "Glad I could make you proud little guy," she winked at him.

"Doctor, the signal, it's stopped," the professor reported, holding his earphones up.

The Time Lords listened moment, hearing nothing, "Skaldak got no answer from his Martian brothers," the Doctor sighed, "Now he's given up hope."

"Hope of what?" the captain asked, catching up to them.

"That someone is out there to rescue him, "Evy rubbed her head, "He thinks he's been abandoned," she looked at the Doctor, "He's got nothing left to lose."

"But what can he do stuck down here like the rest of us? How bad can it be?"

"This sub's stuffed with nuclear missiles, Zhukov," the Doctor reminded him, a bit irritated that the humans couldn't see the danger surrounding his son, it was one thing when it was just humans that he could stop from using them with words but Skaldak would take more doing, "It's fat with them! What do you think Skaldak's going to do when he finds that out? How bad can it be? How bad can it be? It couldn't be any worse."

Evy's lips pursed as the sub was jostled and water started to pour in, a bit of an alarm going of…and whacked him on the back of the head, avoiding LJ in the process, "Stop talking!"

He winced, "Ok, spoke too soon," he admitted.

LJ though was just tickled, clapping and cheering at the new development, which made Evy shake her head.

~8~

The Time Lords stood in the control room with Clara, watching as the captain rounded up his crew, "Comrades, you know our situation. The reactor is drowned, we are totally reliant on battery power and our air is running out. Rescue is unlikely but we still have a mission to fulfill. If the Doctor is right, then we are all that stands between this creature and the destruction of the world. Control of one missile is all he needs. We are expendable, comrades, our world is not. I know I can rely on every one of you to do his duty without fail. That is all."

"Even if a missile _did_ get launched, that wouldn't be...it, would it?" Clara turned to the Doctor as he watched Evy fiddle with the controls of the ship, seeming to be checking things, LJ sitting in his lap, playing with his Elvis wig, pulling the ends down in front of his eyes to examine the hair.

"'It?'" he looked at her.

"End of the world. Game over. I mean, what if they fired one by accident, what would happen then?"

"I told you, Clara. Earth is like a storm waiting to break, right now. Both sides baring their teeth, talking up war. It would only take one tiny spark."

"But the world didn't end in 1983, did it? Or I wouldn't be here."

"Ever seen 'Back to the Future?'" Evy asked.

Clara's eyes widened, "Oh my God, am I just gonna…fade away?"

The Doctor had to laugh at how much she sounded like Martha just then, "History's in flux. It can be changed. Rewritten," he moved over to the captain, "How many of us are left?"

"12, and we can't find Stepashin," he answered.

"We split up and comb the sub. One team stays here to guard the bridge."

"That's it? _That's_ the plan?"

"That's the thing," Evy laughed, pushing away from the controls to join her Link and son.

"Well, it's either that or we stay here and wait for him to kill us," the Doctor countered, kissing Evy's head, hoping it might distract her enough to not smack him in _his_ head for the remark. And what do you know, it actually worked.

"Ok," the captain shook his head and walked off to his crew again.

"Is it true you've never seen one outside of its shell suit?" Clara looked at them.

"Shell suit?" Evy frowned, well that was one thing to call it.

"Bad!" LJ called.

The Doctor nodded, "For an Ice Warrior to leave its armor is the gravest dishonor. Skaldak is desperate, he is deadly and we have got to find him."

"Will these help?" the professor held the two sonics in his hand.

"Ah! You saved them!" the Doctor laughed, taking them, flashing Evy with his a moment as he handed hers over, beaming as she did the same to him.

"Thanks so much!" Evy smiled at the professor, "I've had this thing forever!"

And she really had, she had a MUCH better record of keeping her sonic with her and working than the Doctor did and she probably used it just as much as he did.

"I just found it," the man shrugged, "It was on the floor with this," he handed over the brunette Barbie too.

"Ah!" the Doctor took it and patted its hair, "Professor, I could kiss you!"

"If you insist."

The Doctor blinked as Evy laughed, "Um, sorry, I only kiss her indoors," he nodded back at Evy.

"Pity," the professor sighed.

"What's with the doll?" Clara eyed it, it was _really_ random, not that the Doctor wasn't but THAT was just weird.

"It's LJ's," the Doctor laughed as LJ snatched it, cheering excitedly as he held it close.

"You…let your son play with Barbie dolls?" Clara frowned, not that there was anything wrong with that, it was just…didn't little boys prefer G.I. Joes or action figures? She knew the boy had dinosaur action toys.

"It's his 'companion,'" Evy explained, using quotey fingers, "He wants to be just like his daddy."

"Besht daddy!" LJ cheered…before whacking him on the head with the Barbie and holding it up, "Cara!"

"Cara?" Clara blinked and looked at him, "Is that…me?"

Evy smiled, "I think he wants you to be his companion instead of the Doctor's."

"Oi," the Doctor tickled LJ with a laugh, making him squirm and giggle, "Get your own companion, no stealing mine."

Clara though had to smile at the boy, touched, "You are just too cute you know that," and gave him a kiss on the cheek, laughing as he wiped it away, "But ask me again when you're older," she winked at him, "I doubt there's a woman in the Universe who'll be able to say no to you then."

Evy shook her head at that.

"Come on," the Doctor grinned, flicking on his sonic, "Time to catch ourselves an Ice Warrior eh boyo?"

"Run!" LJ agreed.

Evy shook her head again, "Hopefully not."

Clara and the professor accompanied them into the halls, taking one way as a few of the crew took another, the Time Lords scanning as they went, "So, why have you got a cattle prod on a submarine?" Clara asked the professor, if just for something to distract her.

"Oh please don't say…" Evy began.

"Polar bears," he answered.

Evy face palmed.

"Ah, right," Clara nodded.

"We run across them when we're drilling. Can be quite nasty, you know?"

"I'd swap one for an Ice Warrior any day. Cuddlier!"

_Can I have a polar bear mummy?_ LJ HAD to ask after that.

Evy looked to the heavens a moment before pointing at the Doctor as he grinned smugly, "YOU deal with that one."

His grin widened, "Of course you c…"

Evy whacked him again.

"Can't," the Doctor pouted, "I was going to say _can't_."

"Why don't I believe you?" she crossed her arms and raised her eyebrow, not a good sign.

He winced, knowing he'd been caught in the lie, "I love you?" he tried.

"One day that might just get old," she told him, starting to smile.

He grinned as well, "Never," he promised, kissing her…

When LJ whacked him on the shoulder with the doll, "Ick!"

The Doctor laughed and rested his head to Evy's, "Really boyo, just you wait," he warned his son.

He could just imagine it, LJ growing up and going out into the Universe in search of his Link. Everyone seemed to love telling him how like him LJ was, and he secretly loved it. Because if the boy was like him, terrible luck and all, there would be one very BIG thing to his luck that LJ would hopefully get...his Link. He'd fully thought that he'd never find his Link, even more so afer the war, had no hope at all, completely 0 hope, at finding his Link. And there was Evy, his impossible girl, and his world got that much brighter, that hole in his hearts that much smaller. While he wanted LJ to have better luck than him, to not get into any terribly dangerous situations (he did NOT want his son to regenerate for a very, very, VERY long time...if ever) but he DID want him to have his luck, because that would me he really would find his Link one day. He had faith in that.

And he could just imagine his son with her if he was anything like HE was with Evy. He wanted that for LJ, so badly, he wanted his son to know that sort of love and connection. He wanted him to be as happy as Evy made HIM. He wanted him to be loved and to love in return, because the love of a Time Lord was something so...precious. As Evy had once described it to Donna, they had two hearts, one to hold the Universe and all its creations in, and the other for their Link alone. The romantic Links came to love each other so powerfully because of that, because one heart alone could hold the Universe in it. And he wanted that for LJ. He wanted him to have that life and that love and that joy. And he was sure he would. He was sure LJ's Link was out there, somewhere, they just had to find her. Which was why they would never give up the hope that more of their people survived. The Universe was a big place and sometimes, sometimes miracles happened. 900 years he'd only had 2, Evy and LJ, give it another 900 (though he hoped it wouldn't take THAT long) and maye, just maybe, he'd be due another miracle, his son's Link.

He shook his head and got back to scanning around, pausing at a control panel as Evy soniced some gauges, reading them…

Only for the Doctor to set off alarms the moment her back was turned.

"Doctor!" Evy huffed, turning to him, the two of them sonicing the controls, trying to shut the thing off.

"I always sing a song," the professor added as though the alarms weren't going off.

"What?" Clara shook her head, unable to really hear him, she'd moved to take LJ from the Doctor so he'd have both his hands free, pressing the boy's one ear to her shoulder as she covered the other with her hand.

"To keep my spirits up."

"Yes, that would work...if this was _Pinocchio._ "

"D'you know _Hungry like the Wolf_?"

"What?"

"Duran Duran , one of my favorites. Come on!"

"I'm not singing a song!"

"Peas?" LJ looked at her, lifting his head to look up at her with his wide baby blues...

And she caved.

She'd always had a soft spot for children.

"Alright…" she smiled at the boy, "Just for you and you can't tell no one," she added as LJ smiled. Just as she opened her mouth to start singing, the Doctor got a hatch open, blasting a bit of air out at them when Evy got the alarm to turn off, allowing them to hear a groan above them, "What was that?"

"Pressure," the Doctor said, "Just pressure. We're 700 meters down, remember?"

"Don't worry about it," the professor agreed, "Think of something else," he smiled and started singing, "Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da I am hungry like th…"

"Oi!" the Doctor spun around and pointed at the man, "No singing to my son, only _I_ sing to my son."

The professor blinked, "I was singing to Clara."

"Oh," he nodded, "Right then, carry on."

"I'm not singing!" Clara shook her head when the professor turned to her with a hopeful look on his face that she'd join him. She'd had no problem singing before with the alarms going off, knowing most of them except LJ wouldn't have been able to hear her over the noise and that was fine. Singing for an audience...not so much.

"Don't you know it?" he asked.

"'Course I know it. We do it at karaoke. The odd hen night."

"'Karaoke?' 'Hen night?' You speak excellent Russian, my dear, but sometimes I don't understand a word you're talking about."

"Come on," Evy called as they turned to continue down the corridor.

They'd only made it past the door when they heard a snarl and a scream in the distance. They bolted out of the room, the humans following, following the sound, right to a door that was painted in red.

Clara quickly covered LJ's eyes so he wouldn't see the soldiers torn apart on the floor of the room. The Doctor could feel himself tensing with disgust that Skaldak would do that, would leave them there for his son to almost see. He DIDN'T want the boy to _ever_ have to see something like that so young.

"Good God!" the professor gaped as he caught up, Evy scanning around, "Torn apart. It's a monster. A savage!"

"And the norm for Martians," Evy sighed, rubbing her head as she put her sonic down, "It's how they learn about their enemies, dismantling them. They can find your strengths and weaknesses from that," she paused, getting a beep on her sonic and stood, "I've got a trace," she turned, sending it to the Doctor and they were off once more, rushing down the corridors, till they reached a corner, one hatch before them, stairs beside them.

"Stay here," the Doctor ordered, taking LJ from Clara and motioning for Evy to help strap the boy to his back again, "Evy, keep an eye on them."

Evy pursed her lips, helping him, _not_ happy about being split up, but understood. He wanted her to keep an eye on them, on the humans, not just in case Skaldak attacked, but in case _they_ attacked _him_. He'd be more likely to go after them as they'd have a crewmember with them, and LJ would be safe with the Doctor for now.

' _You can keep him talking long enough for me to get back,_ ' he added, seeing her hesitating to really agree.

' _Fine,_ ' she huffed, nodding.

He moved to leave, before pausing, second guessing something, and turned, moving to unstrap LJ, ' _Take Sigma_...'

' _I don't think I can,_ ' she cut in with a smile.

He looked at her, ' _Why not?_ '

' _He's latched onto your hair,_ ' she told him, ' _And he's not about to leave your side when things get dangerous, that's when you tend to make your 'epic speeches' you know._ '

The Doctor smiled at that, reaching back to feel that LJ really _did_ have quite a hold on his hair, ' _Alright then,_ ' he nodded, before projecting to his son, ' _You're coming with me boyo._ '

' _You take care of him,_ ' Evy warned.

' _With my life,_ ' he swore, heading up the stairs.

"Ok," Clara panted from the run.

"Stay here!" he repeated to her, "Don't argue."

"I'm not!"

"Right," he paused, "Good!" and continued on, "Let's go boyo!"

"It's a young man's game, all this dashing about!" the professor panted, moving to sit on the edge of the hatch.

"Not as much as you'd think," Evy remarked, smiling as she scanned around, wanting to know if Skaldak was close, "The Doctor's 1,200 years old and still as spry as ever. It's the feeling not the age that gets us."

The professor smiled at that, before he noticed the small frown on Clara's face, "Clara, what is it?"

Clara glanced at Evy as though she didn't want to say.

"It's alright Clara," she reassured her, "We've travelled with _a lot_ of people in situations even more overwhelming than this, we know it can be hard. The best way to deal with it is to talk about it. Go on."

Clara nodded and took a breath, "I was doing ok. I mean, I went in there and did the scary stuff, didn't I? I went in there with the Ice Warrior and it went ok. Actually, it went just about as badly as it could have done but that wasn't my fault."

"Not at all," the professor agreed.

"So, I'm happy about that."

"Yes!"

"Chuffed."

"And so you should be."

"But that's not what's bothering you is it?" Evy asked wisely.

"Seeing those bodies back there..." Clara admitted, "It's all got very...real," she looked at Evy, "Are we going to make it?"

Evy smiled, putting her hand on Clara's shoulders, "I've been travelling with the Doctor for SO long Clara, and I've seen his adventures, how he handles it even longer, centuries really, he _always_ finds a way out so yes. We _will_ make it. I promise," she crossed her hearts.

Clara smiled, but looked up tensely as the metal groaned around them.

~8~

The Doctor pulled open a door, quickly covering LJ's eyes again when he saw the second-in-command dismantled again. He backed out quickly, shutting the door before he took his hand off LJ's eyes, "Sorry about that boyo, but your mum really WILL kill me if I let you see that."

_Mummy's very protective,_ LJ remarked.

"That she is, but it's because she loves you very much, she loves us BOTH very much."

_I love mummy too._

He smiled at that, but spun around when he heard footsteps dashing past. He pulled out the sonic and scanned, following it, when the beeps led _up_. He looked there, seeing a shadow dart across above him, "Oh...oh...oh! Fast. He's fast..."

"Run!" LJ ordered.

And the Doctor quickly hurried back the way they came.

~8~

"What was that?" Clara asked, hearing the groaning again.

"The Doctor told you, it's just the boat settling," the professor tried to keep it light, seeing Evy's tense face as she scanned around, "Tell me about yourself. What do you like doing? Clara?" but Clara was distracted by the rattling and groaning, "Clara?"

"Stuff. You know, stuff."

"'Stuff?' Very enlightening. And the Doctor, what he said, is it true? You're...from another time...from our future? Clara?"

"Yes."

"Tell me what happens," he stood.

"Careful," Evy called lightly, distracted as she picked up a trace on the sonic.

"I can't," Clara agreed.

"Well, I need to know," the professor insisted.

"I'm not allowed."

"No, please…"

"I can't!"

"Ultravox, do they split up?"

Clara blinked and stared at him.

"Seriously?" Evy turned to him, "Of _all_ the things you could possibly ask…you ask about a band?"

He shrugged.

"Funny," Clara started laughing, "You're funny!"

And then the sonic buzzed quickly, warningly…just as a set of green, scaly hands reached down and grabbed Clara's head.

"Skaldak!" Evy shouted, spinning around.

"Let her go!" the professor glared, firing a pistol up at the ceiling, striking Skaldak who let Clara go.

Evy ran to her side, putting her arm around her as she started to sonic the ceiling, trying to spot Skaldak in the darkness.

"See..." the professor smiled, "I don't just like Western music!" he twirled his gun.

"Professor!" Evy gasped as the sonic caught onto Skaldak again...just as he reached down and grabbed the professor's head. Evy ran forward, aiming her sonic up at the lizard, the light blue light of her sonic illuminating the shadows, revealing his face, "Skaldak let him go!"

"No, please, don't hurt him," Clara begged, "Please!"

"You attacked _me_!" Skaldak snarled, "Martian law decree's that the people of this planet are forfeit. I now have all the information I require. It will take only one missile to begin the process. To end this cold war."

"Grand Marshal, you don't have to do this," Evy tried, "Please, listen to me…"

"My distress call has not been answered. It will _never_ be answered. My people are dead. They are dust. There is nothing left for me except my revenge!"

~8~

The Doctor paused, catching another trace, a sonic impulse through the ship, in the torpedo room and stiffened, realizing Skaldak had just activated his armor.

"Run!" LJ called again, squirming, "Mummy!"

"Evy!" he shouted, rushing off.

~8~

"Then why not show them mercy?" Evy asked calmly, trying to keep everyone from doing anything foolish.

"Mercy?" Skaldak growled.

"You must wear that armor for a reason, my friend," the captain called, running in, aiming a rifle up at the creature, "Let's see, shall we?"

"No, Captain, wait!" the Doctor shouted, running in, pushing the rifle down.

"I will do whatever it takes to defend my world, Doctor."

"Yes, great, fine, good, but Evy's getting somewhere here. She's negotiating, 'jaw-jaw not war-war.'"

"Churchill?" the professor guessed, trying to remain calm, keep the crew calm too.

The Doctor pointed at him, "Churchill."

"Winny!" LJ giggled.

"That's right boyo, good old uncle Winny," he laughed, they'd taken him to meet Winston again, the boy had been just newly born at the time but Churchill had treated him like an adult, talking to him as though he could understand, which he _could_ , but still the boy appreciated that. While he had the mind of understanding and advanced thought, his physical body and vocal cords and everything had to be taught, built up. He would learn how to speak, how to form more sentences as he grew older, just because he was smart didn't mean he didn't have a lot to learn on the way.

"Very well, we'll negotiate but from a position of strength," the captain raised his gun again.

"Excellent tactical thinking," Skaldak laughed, "My congratulations, Captain."

"Thank you."

"Unfortunately, your position is not, perhaps, as strong as you might hope!" there was a growl and a hiss behind them and they turned to see the suit standing there, trailing its chains, only moments before Skaldak slithered past them and into it.

"He summoned the armor," the Doctor warned them.

"How did it do that?" Clara asked.

Evy turned off her sonic and held it up, "Sonic technology was often used by the Ice Warriors."

One of the crew beside the captain started to fire at Skaldak, but the armor protected him, allowing him to just turn and walk away as the Doctor leapt forward and shoved the gun down.

"My world is dead but now there will be a second red planet!" Skaldak threatened, "Red with the blood of humanity!"

"Skaldak!" Evy ran after him, "Don't!"

"Skaldak, wait!" the Doctor agreed.

"Stop!" LJ tried, but Skaldak ignored them, walking on despite the various crew members shooting at him along the way.

~8~

The small group ran into the control room just in time to see Skaldak pull two wires from the controls for the torpedoes, "No!" the Doctor lunged forward, "Skaldak! Wait! Wait! Wait!"

"He's arming the warheads!" the captain aimed his gun at the alien again as the lights around them turned red.

Evy just shoved the gun down, not even needing to look over to do it, such was the talent of a mother, "You do that you slaughter billions of innocent people Skaldak!" she warned, "There is NO honor in that."

"5,000 years ago Mars was the center of a vast empire," the Doctor began, LJ falling quiet, anticipating another epic speech, "The jewel of this solar system. The people of earth had only just begun to leave their caves. 5,000 years isn't such a long time, they're still just frightened children. Still primitive. Who are _you_ to judge them?"

Skaldak spun around, "I am Skaldak! This planet is forfeit under Martian law."

"Then _teach_ them! Teach them, Grand Marshal! Show them another way! Show them there is honor in mercy. Is this how you want history to remember you? Grand Marshal Skaldak, Destroyer of Earth? Because _that's_ what you'll be if you send those missiles. Not a soldier, a _murderer_. Five billion lives extinguished. No chance for goodbyes," he added when the alien turned to the trigger button, "A world snuffed out like a candle flame!" and put his finger over it, "Alright, alright, Skaldak, you leave me no choice. I'm a Time Lord, Skaldak. I know a bit about sonic technology myself," he held up his sonic.

"A threat?" Skaldak scoffed, turning to him, "You threaten me, Doctor?"

"No. No, not you..." he swallowed hard, when he felt Evy step beside him, close to him, taking his hand, closign his eyes a moment when he felt LJ lean forward and wrap his little arms around his neck in a small hug, as though to say HE was with them too, the three of them together, a family, the trio of Time Lords, "All of us. I will blow this sub up before you can even reach that button, Grand Marshal. Blow us all to oblivion."

"You would sacrifice yourself?"

"In a heartbeat," he flicked it and it turned red.

"Your woman? Your child?"

"We'd gladly go if it meant saving the world," Evy told him.

"Boom!" LJ nodded, his face as serious as it could be over his father's shoulders...well, trying to be serious. He knew his mummy had a backup plan that would stop Skaldak, she always did, it was her thing, they weren't really in any danger at the moment, not that Skaldak knew that.

"Mutually assured destruction!" Skaldak turned back to the button.

"Look into my eye, Skaldak," the Doctor challenged, "Look into my eyes and tell me you're capable of doing this. Huh? Can you do that? Dare you do that? Look into my eyes, Skaldak, come on! Face-to-face. Look me in the eye and tell me you could blow this ship up, with a baby in it, with someone's _child._ "

"It won't work," Evy warned him, "That button's not going to do anything even if you DO push it."

Skaldak glared at her, turning around and…jamming his finger down on it.

The crew leapt forward to stop him but…nothing happened.

"Backup plan," Evy remarked with a small smile, "Set the torpedoes to release only upon a single password. Which you don't have."

"Give it to me!" he demanded, turning to lift his weapon at her.

"Why did you hesitate?" Clara asked quickly, trying to distract the alien, not wanting him to harm them, feeling like she had to stop him, like it was her turn to save the Time Lords, "Back there, in the dark. You were going to kill this man," she reached back and patted the professor on the shoudler, "Remember? I begged you not to and you listened. Why show compassion then Skaldak, and not now? The Doctor and Evy are right. _Billions_ will die...mothers, sons, fathers...daughters. Remember that last battle, Skaldak? Your daughter...you sang the songs..."

"Of the red snows," Skaldak said quietly…

When suddenly there was a jolt as the ship shook.

"What's happening?!" Clara grabbed onto a small edge of a control, not wanting to be knocked out again.

"My people live!" Skaldak cheered, a faint whirr playing over the comms., a sonic whirr, "They have come for me!"

"We're rising!" the captain cheered, seeing the gauges, "We're rising!"

"600 meters..." the professor reported, "550..."

A few moments later there was a terrible jolt as they saw sunlight through the portholes, "We've surfaced!" the Doctor cried, "Your people have saved us."

"Saved _me_ , not _you_ ," Skaldak corrected.

"Go Skaldak," Evy shook her head at him, "Just go, please."

Skaldak teleported out as Clara beamed, "We did it! We did it!"

"Not quite yet," Evy frowned as she soniced the controls, the Doctor holding the red-lit sonic up still, "It's still set," she shook her head, "One pulse from the ship and it'll scramble the systems, override the password…"

The Doctor swallowed, turning to her, pressing his forehead to hers, "I'll destroy us if I have to," he whispered, not wanting to, not at all.

This was his Link and child, but Evy had _sworn_ she'd make him chose the Earth once, so long ago, and he'd agreed in his hearts on one condition, if he had to pick the Earth over her, it would be the Earth over _both_ of them. He was not, he _would not_ , live his days without her, not that he could. He'd tried once, to leave her behind and protect her, had nearly gone mad and fallen apart, well, he DID fall apart quite a bit during that dark time. He couldn't imagine living without her, especially since it would be literal hell if she died and he didn't. They'd organized it with Jack as well when LJ had been born, if _anything_ ever happened to them, if the psychic link to the TARDIs was severed or if they were in a danger they couldn't escape from, the box was to teleport LJ back into it and take him to Jack or they could activate a spatial shifter and the boy would still be sent to Jack. They supposed it was a good system, if the TARDIS appeared, Jack would know not to come for them, that it was too late, but if LJ just appeared in his arms, that they were still alive but surrounded or hostages or in danger with the possibility of surviving.

He squeezed her hands, "Show mercy, Skaldak. Come on, show mercy" he begged quietly.

Clara swallowed, shifting nervously, glancing at LJ who actually seemed a bit worried and scared to see his parents so...concerned, "Da-da-da-dah," she began to sing softly, trying to smile reassuringly when LJ glanced at her for it, "I'm lost and I'm found and I'm hungry like the wolf…"

A moment later a klaxon went off and the lights turned back to green, "Ha ha!" the Doctor cheered, turning the sonic back to green as well, turning it off, " _Now_ we're safe!" he beamed, kissing Evy quickly as LJ covered his eyes.

"Now give me my son," Evy told him, turning him to take the now-beaming LJ off his back, cuddling her son as he raved about how brilliant his parents were...and how pretty Clara's singing was, making them chuckle softly.

Clara walked over and tapped them on the shoulders, hugging them all, making it a big group hug.

"Saved the world then?" she smiled, pulling away.

"Yes!" LJ cheered.

"That's what we do then?" she tickled the boy.

"Yes!"

"Well said boyo," the Doctor grinned, his arm winding around Evy's waist.

~8~

The Time Lords and humans stepped onto the top of the sub, finding themselves at the North Pole, staring up at the Martian ship still hovering there.

"The TARDIS!" Clara suddenly remembered, "Where's the TARDIS? You never explained."

"Oh, well," the Doctor began, embarrassed, "Don't worry about that."

"Stop saying that! Where is it?"

"Yeah, well, I wasn't to know, was I?"

"Know what?"

Evy rolled her eyes, LJ in her arms now, "He's been tinkering with the TARDIS again, no matter how many times I tell him not to…"

"I'm just breaking her in!" he defended.

"More like just breaking her," Evy countered as he pouted. She smirked, pressing a finger to his lips to hold him off from her peck that she always gave him to cheer him up.

"What did he do this time?" Clara sighed, getting the feeling this was normal for him to break the box so often.

"I reset the HADS," he said, muffled through Evy's pressing of his lips.

"Huh?"

"He reset the HADS," Evy repeated.

"The what?" Clara briefly wondered if they were just making up words. What was HADS supposed to stand for? High Altitude Defense System? Hydrometeorological Automated Data System? Hostile Action Displacement System? Helicopter Air Data System?

"The HADS, the Hostile Action Displacement System," Evy explained, making Clara beam at having been able to guess it, "Apparently if the TARDIS is attacked it relocates. Only he's set it for everything from gunfire to time-winds to the sea," she gestured at the sub, in the middle of a rather frozen sea, but still the sea.

"Oh, Doctor," Clara sighed.

The Doctor pulled Evy's finger off his lips, "Haven't used it in donkey's years. Seemed like a good idea at the time what with LJ with us," he reminded Evy, "Well, never mind, it's bound to turn up somewhere!" his sonic and Evy's buzzed, "Oh! Ha, see, right on cue!" they pulled them out, "Brilliant!"

"Brilliant!"

"The TARDIS is at the Pole!" the Doctor said.

"Not far then," Clara smiled, moving to enter the sub again.

"The _South_ Pole," Evy corrected, flipping her sonic over her fingers and putting it in her holster.

Clara shook her head, should have expected that, "AH."

"Could we have a lift?" the Doctor looked at the captain.

The man just laughed with Clara, the two heading inside as the professor shook his head and smiled, following them. The Time Lords looked up at the Martian ship and waved, watching it fly off.

Evy turned to head in when the Doctor caught her hand, "What?" she smiled at him.

"Two things, the first…what was that password?" he asked her.

"Our son's true name," she answered, "And the second?"

He smirked, "I believe someone owes me a kiss for making me sad."

She smiled, turning to put her one arm around him, LJ in her other, "Sigma, close your eyes dear," she warned the boy who quickly did just that as she leaned in and kissed the boy's father soundly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aww :) Poor LJ and the icky kisses :) All I kept thinking about was the Doctor running around the sub with a mini-Elvis strapped to his back lol.
> 
> I made a minor change to the Barbie doll, making it brunette instead of blonde, but when I was trying to think of why the Doctor would have one for this story, I thought of LJ and how he's a mini-Doctor so maybe the Barbie was a mini-companion? I thought it would be interesting to have it as a brunette, because then it opened up the cute little he's got a Clara-companion like his daddy :)
> 
> I also feel like LJ might not be very keen on blondes (as a companion) just because of what he knows of his father and Rose. That feeling sort of carries over to J as he doesn't much like wolves because they also remind him of Rose. By the time we see J in that series, he's well aware of the complications Rose brought up for his father and mother, but here he's still a baby so, while he knows about it, he doesn't really understand it to that degree. There'll actually be something about that (the differences between J and LJ in that regard) in the Crimson Horror :)
> 
> But lol, LJ wanted a polar bear and we all know the Doctor SO would have said yes :) Poor Evy seems to be at her wit's end about the dangerous animals :) LJ is definitely a handful like his daddy.
> 
> Next chapter...LJ learns a new word, someone else feels like they're being watched, and Clara gets suspicious of J.


	20. Hide (Part 1)

The Doctor pounded on the door of a large old manor, Evy shaking her head at LJ's grumblings the house was so old it didn't have a doorbell for him to push, that boy certainly loved pushing buttons didn't he?

Like father, like son.

Clara watched, amused, as all this went on, shaking out her red umbrella as LJ squirmed in his push pram, not at all perturbed by the thunderstorm raging behind them. The boy had taken a title of the Doctor to heart, Oncoming Storm, and found himself unafraid by storms, as it just reminded him of his father, and he always, always, always felt safe with his daddy.

The door opened and a man in a suit and glasses stood there, a young woman with short hair behind him, both of them dressed in a 70s style, which made sense as it was the 70s.

"Boo!" the Doctor jumped out from the side, "Ow!" he winced as Evy whacked him on the head for scaring the poor girl, whom she'd seen jump back, pushing LJ in his pram beside him.

"Hello," Evy smiled at them, before sighing and nodding at the Doctor, "Sorry about him."

"Yes, hello," he rubbed his head, "We're looking for a ghost!"

"Ghast!" LJ giggled, throwing his arms up.

"And you are..." the man frowned at them.

"Ghostbusters!" Clara smiled, moving to the side of them.

"I'm the Doctor," the Doctor explained as he flashed the psychic paper at the man, "This is my…wife Evy," he smiled at her, "And our boy LJ," he patted LJ on the head as he huffed and tried to wave his daddy off, "And this…"

"Doctor what?" the man cut in.

Evy smiled, "Thank you," she was getting rather sick of 'Doctor Who?'

"And this is..."

"Clara!" LJ clapped, more pleased that he'd _finally_ gotten the girl's name right than anything.

The Doctor beamed and patted LJ on the head, taking the pram and pushing it inside, Evy taking Clara's hand and pulling her in too.

"Ah!" the Doctor cheered, excitedly pushing LJ over to the line of machines set up around a sitting room, rather old in technology but cutting edge for the times, "Look at that boyo!" the Doctor smiled at the machines, before he spun around to face the man, "But you are very different! You are Major Alec Palmer. Member of the Baker Street Irregulars, the Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare," he leaned in and whispered, "Specialized in espionage, sabotage, and reconnaissance behind enemy lines. You're a talented water-colorist, professor of psychology, AND...ghost hunter!" he excitedly shook Palmer's hand, "Total pleasure. Massive!"

"Actually," the young woman began, "You're wrong. Professor Palmer spent most of the war as a POW."

"Not really," Evy smiled, hopping up to sit on the edge of a desk, absently pushing LJ's pram back and forth gently with her foot, "That's the sort of lie a very brave man who was involved in very secret and very dangerous operations would say."

"The kind of man who keeps a Victoria Cross in a box in the attic, eh?" the Doctor grinned, pointing at the woman, "But you know that! Because you're Emma Grayling..." he moved to give her two Gallic air kisses, "The professor's companion..."

"Assistant," she murmured.

"It's 1974, you're the assistant and 'non-objective equipment.'"

"Which means 'psychic,'" Evy added to Clara as the girl moved to sit beside her, "Empathic psychic actually."

"Getting that," Clara nodded, "Bless you, though."

"Relax, Emma," Palmer told her, watching as the Doctor nabbed LJ from Evy and pushed the pram right to the equipment, squatting beside his boy, explaining the different pieces, "He's Military Intelligence. So what's all this in aid of?" he asked the Doctor.

"Health and safety!" he grinned, "Yeah, the Ministry got wind of what's going on down here. Sent me to check that everything's in order."

"They don't have the right..."

"Don't worry, Guv'nor, I'll be out your hair in five minutes," he snapped his finger at the machine in front of him, "Oh! Oh, look! Oh, lovely," he turned LJ a bit to show him it, Clara getting up to go look over his shoulder, "The ACR 99821. Oh, bliss, nice action on the toggle switches. You know, I do love a toggle switch," he laughed, watching as LJ reached out and played with the toggle switch himself, up and down and up and down, "Actually, I like the word 'toggle.' Nice noun. Excellent verb," he whacked Clara's hand as she reached out to touch the switch too, "Oi, don't mess with the settings."

Clara just rolled her eyes at that, how he was letting a _toddler_ play with it but not her, an adult, but shrugged and moved back beside Evy as the woman pulled out her sonic and flashed it around.

"What's that?" Palmer asked.

"Nothing special," Evy winked at her boys for that little lie, "Classified, you understand," she got up, catching a trace of something and moved to an archway.

"What's it telling you?" Emma frowned, she always found herself looking at that archway too.

"That you haven't been exposed to any life-threatening transmundane emanations," she replied, putting the sonic in its holster.

"So..." the Doctor leapt up, clapping his hands, LJ mimicking his father, "Where's the ghost?" he grabbed a candelabrum and handed it to Evy to light, "Show me the ghost," there was a slight whooshing noise as he grinned, sensing the ghost, "It's ghost time!"

"Ghast!" LJ cheered.

The Doctor moved to push LJ out of the room, the boy far too excited to find his first ever ghost than he probably should have been, he was barely two years old and should have been terrified. But, then again, he _was_ a rather clever boy.

"I won't have this stolen out from under me, do you understand?" Palmer followed them out into the hall, the candelabrum being the only source of light, adding to the eeriness LJ seemed to be thriving on.

"Erm, no, not really, sorry," the Doctor called back.

"I will not have my work stolen, then be fobbed off with a pat on the back and a letter from the Queen. Never again! This is _my_ house, Doctor, and it belongs to _me_."

"This is actually _your_ house?" Clara blinked.

"It is."

"Sorry. You went to the bank and said, 'You know that gigantic old haunted house on the moors? The one the dossers are too scared to doss in? The one the birds are too scared to fly over?' And then you said, 'I'd like to buy it, please, with my money.'"

"Yes, I did, actually."

"Very brave of you," Evy smiled at the man.

Clara glanced back, hearing a floorboard creak.

"Listen, Major, we just need to know what's going on here," the Doctor added.

"For the Ministry?" Palmer frowned.

"Classified," Evy cut in, "You know he's not allowed to answer."

"Very well. Follow me," he pushed past the Doctor, leading the way to a small parlor room down the hall where a board had been set up of pictures and notes all about the history of the house and the ghost that haunted it.

They paused, watching as Palmer went to the side of the room, getting the last few latest notes together to put on the board when the Doctor spotted a camera sitting on a table, "Family photo!" he called, snatching it up and grabbing Evy's hand as she had stepped past him to go look at the board, pulling her back to LJ and him, pulling her down, the two of them crouching on either side of the pram, the Doctor's arm out before him as he snapped away…till Evy snatched the camera from him with a laugh and set it aside, moving to take LJ out of the pram.

The Doctor smiled, watching her lifting their son and hugging him a moment till the boy squirmed and she had to set him down. The boy _did_ love his walking, though it still looked more like waddling to the adults, and walked right to where Clara had gone to sit with Emma, near a small bar, tugging on the hem of her shirt and lifting his arms as she smiled and laughed, scooping the boy up to set him on her lap. The Doctor was fairly certain the boy thought it natural for people to sit on others' laps given how often he saw Evy sitting on HIS.

"So what's an empathic psychic?" Clara questioned, gently taking LJ's hand as he moved to tug on her hair as he loved to do to everyone, waiting for Palmer to finish setting up his latest notes, the Doctor moving to examine the bottles beside them.

"Sometimes I...sense feelings," Emma remarked, "The way a telepath can sense thoughts. Sometimes, though. Not always."

The Doctor grinned, letting out a cheer as he found a bottle of milk, turning to toss it to Evy who rolled her eyes but went to add it to a sippy cup she was preparing for LJ.

"The most compassionate people you'll ever meet, empathics," the Doctor nodded, "And the loneliest. I mean, exposing themselves to all those hidden feelings, all that guilt, pain and sorrow and...ow!" he winced, glaring at Evy as she stood across the room, smirking at him, having given him a mental whack for his words.

LJ giggled at the event, squirming off Clara's lap to waddle-run to his mummy as she handed him the sippy cup.

"Would you, er, care to have a look?" Palmer looked over, just before Emma, who had glanced between Evy and the Doctor in suspicion, could speak her thoughts.

The Doctor clapped his hands and dashed over.

"Up!" LJ reached for the board with one hand, the sippy cup in the other, making Evy laugh as she picked him up and brought him over, Clara and Emma joining them around it.

"Caliburn House is over 400 years old but _she's_ been here much longer..." Palmer began to explain, pointing at the picture of a hazy white image, "The Caliburn Ghast. She's mentioned in local Saxon poetry and Parish folk tales. The Wraith of the Lady, the Maiden in the Dark, the Witch of the Well..."

"Is she real?" Clara wondered, "As in, actually real?"

"Oh, she's real. In the 17th century, a local clergyman saw her. He wrote that her presence was accompanied by a 'dreadful knocking, as if the Devil himself demanded entry.' During the war, American airmen stationed here left offerings of tinned Spam. The tins were found in 1965, bricked up in the servants' pantry, along with a number of handwritten notes. Appeals to the Ghast, 'For the love of God, stop screaming.'"

"Are you sure he should be here?" Emma asked, glancing at LJ as he stared at the pictures, sipping away at his milk, completely unperturbed by the spooky story being told, "He's just a boy and…"

"And he _loves_ it," Evy smiled at him, "Don't you?" she laughed as LJ nodded, still sipping away, she looked at Emma, "The worse it gets the more HE loves it," she nodded at the Doctor, "The scarier it gets the more LJ loves it," she sighed fondly, running her hand through her son's locks, smiling as the hair seemed to just stick up, "Like father, like son eh?"

"The only reason I love it is because then I get to see your brilliant backup plans in action," the Doctor told her, "And HE loves it," he nodded at LJ, "Because the scarier it gets, the more likely it is that YOU'LL give an 'epic speech' too."

Evy laughed, "Oh mine are nowhere near as good as yours."

"But they're so much more rare," the Doctor countered, "They _mean_ more."

She smiled at that.

"She never changes," Clara frowned at the pictures, "The angle's different, the framing, but she's always in _exactly_ the same position. Why is that?"

The Doctor and Evy looked at the pictures closely, seeing she was right, the ghost _was_ exactly the same everywhere.

"We don't know," Palmer sighed, "She's an objective phenomenon. But objective recording equipment can't detect her..."

"Without a powerful psychic around?" Evy guessed.

"Absolutely. Very well done."

"She knows I'm here..." Emma said quietly, just staring at the photos as they all turned to her, LJ seeming to raise an eyebrow at her words as he finished the last of his milk, "I can feel her...calling out to me."

"What's she saying?" Clara frowned.

"'Help me.'"

Clara looked back, _swearing_ she saw something dart past the doorway, but nothing was there.

"The Witch of the Well," Evy murmured, "Is there even a well?"

Palmer smiled at that and led them over to a table where the plans of the house were set up, "A copy of the oldest plan that we could find, there is no well on the property. None that we could find, anyway."

The Doctor nodded, grinning, a new part of the puzzle, and turned, picking up the candelabrum and heading over to Clara as Evy went to put LJ back in his pram. He was a growing boy and getting bigger by the day, they'd decided to utilize a little anti-grav pram they had a bit more, it automatically levitated up stairs and things, which was a blessing. They had debated not using the pram, letting LJ walk but, knowing the Doctor's luck, the ghost would turn out to be a Cyberman again and they'd end up running for their lives.

The Doctor tapped Clara on the shoulder as she stared intently at the photos and she gasped, spinning around, "You coming?" he asked her quietly.

"Where?" she countered, just as quiet.

"To find the ghost."

"Why would I want to do that?"

"Because you want to, come on," he nodded to the door where Evy and LJ were already waiting, leading her over.

"Well, I dispute that assertion," Clara hissed as she followed him.

The Doctor looked over to see Emma eyeing him and jerked his head back, wanting Clara to follow, "I'm giving you a face. Can you see me? Look at my face."

Clara glanced at Evy, who was shaking her head at him with a fond smile, and LJ, who was looking up at her with those baby blues, clearly wanting her to say yes. Seriously they needed to patent that look because she was _sure_ no one in the world would be able to resist that baby.

"Fine," she huffed, before pausing and kneeling down by LJ, "Dare me."

LJ just looked at her.

"Go on," she tickled his stomach, "Your dad's daft and your mum's too nice to force me, so dare me."

LJ giggled, "Day!"

"No…" she laughed, "D _are_. Come on, you can say it, Duh-air."

"Duh-eer," he tried.

"D-air."

"Dair."

"There we go!" she cheered.

"Dare!" he beamed.

"Well then," she nodded, "No takesies-backsies then eh?"

LJ shook his head, "No!"

She laughed, getting up, "Guess I have to now," she remarked to the Time Lords, taking the candelabrum from the Doctor and stepping past them.

Evy had to laugh, "He's certainly got your charm."

The Doctor beamed at that, kissing her quickly before they followed Clara, him pushing the pram as Evy pulled out her sonic to help use as a light and scanner.

"The music room is the heart of the house," Emma told them as they left.

"Brilliant," the Doctor grinned as they left the parlor, the four of them creeping down the dark corridors.

"Say we actually find her," Clara murmured, "What do we say?"

"Hi!" LJ answered promptly

Evy laughed, "Very polite," she nodded in approval to her son, "Perhaps a bit of me in you then."

"Oi!" the Doctor pouted at her slight against his rudeness for which he received a kiss from her.

"We can also ask why she's here, what happened," Evy added.

"Why?" Clara asked.

"Because we don't know," the Doctor sighed, "And ignorance is...what's the opposite of bliss?"

"Carlisle."

"Good answer," Evy laughed, it _was_ a rather un-bliss-like little area.

"Yes!" the Doctor agreed, "Yes, Carlisle. Ignorance is Carlisle."

As they passed a hall, a snarl and scrape sounded, but they didn't hear…

~8~

They spent a short while examining the kitchens, it was dark, there were cobwebs everywhere, and dust, so they'd quickly left it to look around some more, finally making their way to the music room. There was a harp there, some music stands, but not much else, dust there as well too. Evy scanned with the sonic as they entered…the Doctor deciding to race around the room with LJ, making racecar sounds as he ran with the pram, the boy cheering excitedly.

Evy shook her head at them, it was endlessly sweet though, the Doctor was so like a child himself but had a quiet maturity to him that made him the perfect father. He knew _just_ what to do to keep a child calm, happy, brave, because he was just perfect that way. She laughed when the Doctor shot her a wink for her thoughts.

"Do you feel anything?" Evy called behind her as she scanned.

"No," Clara murmured, tensing a bit despite her words.

"Your pants are so on fire," the Doctor commented as they raced past.

Clara stepped closer into the room, right by Evy as the Time Lady frowned at her sonic, fiddling with it, "I really need to add some more apps to you," the woman was mumbling to the device, perhaps some dampeners or red settings.

"Do you feel like you're being watched?" Clara asked her quietly.

"All the time," she nodded, "But it's usually not a ghost…is it dear?!" she added the last part loudly, pointedly.

"Can't help it!" the Doctor called from the other end of the room, "You're too beautiful to not watch," he gave her a quick kiss as he passed her, moving LJ to the back of the room, by the door.

Evy moved over to the windows as Clara walked to the side of the room, looking around, _swearing_ she heard something coming from there.

The Doctor continued to race with LJ, past the door to the next room, only to stop dead in the hall, a frown on his face.

"I think she's here," Clara whispered.

The Doctor backed up with the pram, exhaling to see nothing, then stepping up and doing the same, only to see his breath this time, "Cold spot," he called to Evy as she moved over to sonic it, him stepping forward, "Warm," back, "Cold," back, "Warm," forward, "Cold," right, "Warm," left, "Cold," left, "Warm," right, "Cold," back, "Warm…ow! What was THAT for!" he rubbed his head from where Evy had slapped him.

"You DO realize you were taking our son through hot and _cold spots_ repeatedly," she stared at him, her hands on her hips, "That's how people get ill, or have you forgotten when we dealt with the Great Intelligence? If he gets another cold I will _kill_ you."

He winced, he'd forgotten that, "Right…"

Evy just rolled her eyes and pulled a piece of chalk that she'd confiscated from the Doctor when she'd caught him and LJ drawing on the walls of the TARDIS with it...again...that was why LJ wouldn't have crayons either...and used it to make a circle on the floor around the cold spot.

"Doctor?" Clara began, "Evy?"

"What?" he looked over.

"I'm not happy," she remarked.

"LJ is," Evy laughed, the boy babbling on in Baby and English about the Ghast and the cold spot and how he wanted to play with the chalk and how it looked like food and yummy and now he was hungry and rambling about it, "Your son," she nudged the Doctor in the stomach.

The Doctor grinned and gave her a peck, starting to push the pram on, Evy following with the sonic, looking for anymore cold spots.

Clara looked around, hearing something, before turning again to see them wandering off, "Hey!" she ran after them, through the circle, following them out into the halls, past the large windows…

When they heard a thump.

"What was that?" Clara gasped.

Two more thumps sounded and, when they breathed out...they could see their breath.

"Yay!" LJ cheered, ready for the ghost, SO ready for the ghost.

He knew that _so many_ people would probably be terrified right now but…how could he be? His mummy and daddy were there, they ALWAYS took care of him, he was ALWAYS safe with them, they'd NEVER let ANYTHING hurt him. As long as they were there, there was _nothing_ to be scared of. The monsters and nightmares were afraid of his parents after all.

And then there was a wind that blew the candles out.

And a chill that entered the air.

The Doctor frowned and quickly pulled a small blanket out of his pocket, leaning forward to put it on LJ, making sure he was warm first.

"That's probably not good," Evy remarked, seeing frost starting to coat the windows up and down the hall.

"Ok, what is that?" Clara asked as the thumping happened again.

"It's a very loud noise," the Doctor answered, "It's a very loud, very ang…"

"Watch it," Evy warned.

"Very…um…powerful?" he looked at Evy, seeing if that was acceptable instead of 'angry,' "Noise?"

She nodded, pleased. Even though she knew LJ wasn't scared, she wanted to make sure he'd stay that way.

"But what's making it?!" Clara hissed.

"We don't know," the Doctor looked at her, "Are you making it?"

Another thump sounded and the Doctor pulled the pram back with him, grabbing Evy too as they backed away to Clara, all of them standing against an open archway.

"Doctor?" Clara breathed.

"Yes?"

"I may be a teeny, tiny bit terrified."

"No!" LJ called, HE wasn't scared, he was brave like his daddy was.

"Not as brave as you LJ," she gave a tense laugh.

"And?" the Doctor got her back on topic.

"But I'm still a grownup."

"Mainly, yes, and..."

"There's no need to actually hold my hand."

The Doctor looked to his right where his hand was on the pram, and his left, holding it up to show he was holding only Evy's hand, and looked at Clara, "Clara?"

"Yes?"

"He's not holding your hand," Evy told her.

They glanced over their shoulder, the lightning flashing to show some sort of creature behind them, Clara screamed as the Doctor pushed the pram on, LJ grumbling about how he wanted to see the thingy!

~8~

The trio ran down the stairs towards the sitting room, the pram doing beautifully in hovering itself, LJ shouting for them to go back, he REALLY wanted to see the thingy!

' _He does NOT get that curiosity from ME,_ ' Evy huffed, sending the Doctor a look, ' _YOUR son!_ '

The Doctor had to laugh despite that, he really _did_ love it when Evy did that, kept showing how they were similar, all it really did was remind him that LJ WAS his son, he's survived, he was there, along with Evy, they were both alive and with him again and nothing in the Universe was better than that.

They reached the ground floor just as Palmer looked over at them, a whirling dish of some sort flying in the air behind him in the sitting room. The Doctor and Evy pulled out their sonics, flashing it.

"I'm guessing this is new?" Evy glanced at Palmer.

"Yes!" he shouted.

"Camera!" the Doctor spun around to grab it, "Camera!" turning to flash pictures at the dish as it spun faster and faster, till it cracked.

Emma gasped as a white figure appeared through a doorway, looking like she was in the woods, a scream sounding…

"Doctor?!" Clara and Evy shouted, seeing that same thing everywhere.

The Doctor spun and snapped more pictures…

"Help me!" a voice cried…and Emma collapsed, Palmer catching her.

Evy spun around at the sound of a crash from the stairs and ran up them, "Doctor!" she called, flashing her sonic along a message that was glowing on the wall, 'Help me' before it faded away, the dish disappearing too.

~8~

The Doctor and Evy stood by a row of pictures hanging from a wire as Palmer developed the latest set in his darkroom, "We had a little peek at your records," the Doctor began, "Back at the Ministry. You've certainly seen a thing or two in your time, disrupting U-Boat operations across the North Sea, sabotaging railway lines across Europe, Operation Gibbon, the one with the carrier pigeons, brilliant! I do love a carrier pigeon," he smiled and turned to Evy, his mouth open…

But she just pressed a finger to his lips, "No. We are NOT getting a carrier pigeon!"

"As a pet?" he asked, taking her hand off his lips but holding it, "For LJ? Please?"

She smiled, "Dear…what would the TARDIS say if she had birds building a nest in her rafter?"

He winced, the box would _never_ let him live to see the light of day again.

"But you're right," she nodded and he looked at her, hopeful, if SHE said it was ok, then the TARDIS would _have_ to agree, "You are a brilliant man Mr. Palmer," Evy smirked and turned to Palmer.

"I did my duty but then so did thousands of others," he shrugged, "MILLIONS of others...I was just lucky enough to come back."

"Yes…" the Doctor trailed off a moment, frowning at the image of the ghost behind his family in one photo, "But, how does that man, that war hero, end up here, in a lonely old house, looking for ghosts?"

"Because I killed...and I caused to have killed...I sent young men and women to their deaths...but here I am, still alive, and...it _does_ tend to haunt you. Living, after so much of...the other thing."

Evy reached over and put a hand on the Doctor's shoulder, squeezing it, they had BOTH done that and they would NEVER let LJ end up that way either.

"See, I was alone and unmarried and...I didn't mind dying. I mean, not for that cause. It was a very, very fine cause...defeating the enemy."

"And if you could contact them, what would you say?"

"Well, I'd very much like to thank them."

"You really are a _remarkable_ man Mr. Palmer," Evy smiled at him.

"Mhmm," the Doctor took a photo from the tray of solution, "Ping," and clipped it up.

"What do you think she is?" Palmer walked over to look at the image with them.

"Not what we thought she'd be," Evy had to admit.

"What did you think she'd be?"

"Fun," the Doctor sighed, "Well at least LJ thinks she is eh?" he looked at Evy.

"Your son," she remarked, "He'd find anything interesting as long as he could comment on it."

He grinned, "Can we borrow your camera?" he asked Palmer who handed it over, "Ta," he nodded and left with Evy.

~8~

Clara smiled as she gently pushed the pram that LJ was sitting in, the rocking motions lulling him to sleep, he really _was_ the _most_ adorable baby in the Universe, which was odd given how funny his father looked, that chin!

"What about you?" Emma asked as she eyed Clara with LJ, "What about you and…him?"

"What, the Doctor?" Clara laughed, nearly spitting out her tea at the suggestion, "Oh, I don't think so. He's got Evy and a son and…"

"Good," Emma murmured behind her tea cup.

"Sorry?" she blinked.

Emma looked at her, "Don't trust him...there's a sliver of ice in his heart, he'll turn on you in an instant if he thinks you're a threat to his family."

Clara frowned, but had to nod, "That's _good_ though, isn't it?"

A man who would do anything to protect his family was a decent man in her book, her father was exactly the same.

"Clara!" Evy called from the hall, "LJ!"

"Come on boyo," the Doctor smiled as they ran into the room, LJ blearily starting to wake up, "We're going on an adventure!"

LJ smiled.

~8~

The trio and LJ ran through the rain, hiding under Clara's red umbrella, stopping a short distance from the TARDIS as Clara pulled them back a bit, "I've got this weird feeling she's looking at me," she whispered, "She doesn't like me."

"The TARDIS is like a cat," the Doctor shrugged, recalling what Evy had told him of the TARDIS's reaction to Clara in Akhaten, "A bit slow to trust," he then dashed out from under the umbrella and ran to the TARDIS.

"Idiot," Evy breathed, shaking her head, "Come on Clara," she pulled her to the TARDIS, "Trust me, the TARDIS doesn't even like HIM at times," she nodded to the Doctor, "But you'll get there in the end."

She didn't doubt it. One day they box would warm up to Clara, she could tell. It had loved HER instantly, liked her more than the Doctor most of the time. Eventually it would like Clara too. LJ just adored her and she knew how much the box favored LJ over the two of them combined. If LJ liked her, the box would too. Well, that and if they could ever get the old girl to explain _why_ she seemed to dislike Clara in the first place. So far the TARDIS was sticking to her 'she's rude!' excuse or the 'I can't talk to you when she's around' thing.

Clara looked around as they stepped inside, Evy pulling LJ over to the console, hooking the handle of the pram onto one of the levers they wouldn't be using to keep it from rolling way in what would undoubtedly be messy piloting on the Doctor's part, "You need a place to keep this," she called, holding up the umbrella, there wasn't a stand to put it in.

"We've got one," the Doctor told her.

"New console room," Evy reminded him.

He sighed, "We _had_ one," he corrected, before turning to look around, "Look around, see if you find it. Did I even have one? Am I going mad?" he looked at Evy.

"Do you REALLY want me to answer that?"

"No," he said quickly, moving to help her set the controls…when he spotted Clara just shaking her umbrella out, getting water all over the place, "No, not in here! How do you expect her to like you? She's SOAKING wet! It's a health and safety nightmare," he took the umbrella and set it on a chair by the side controls, pointing at Clara, "My son's just learned to walk and if he trips it'll be on your head," he warned her.

Clara rolled her eyes and moved to LJ's side, squatting down to play with him, "Sorry," she whispered to the TARDIS, "So...where we going?" she asked the little boy, tickling his stomach.

"Stay!" he answered.

"Righto boyo," the Doctor smiled.

Clara just looked confused at Evy who rolled her eyes at her boys, it seemed LJ had inherited the not answering questions thing too, "Nowhere, for now," she explained, "We're going to stay in the same spot, but go somewhere else in time."

"If we can work out how to do it," the Doctor nodded.

"Mummy!" LJ cheered.

Evy had to smile at that and poke the Doctor in the chest, "You see, even your son thinks _I'm_ a better pilot."

He pouted, "Well then YOU teach him the TARDIS, I'll teach him the sonic."

Evy's eyes narrowed, "You are NOT giving him a toddler version of the sonic!" she huffed, she'd said it literally 1000 times by now.

"I won't," he crossed his hearts, "I meant…when he's older."

She narrowed her eyes, not fully believing him, but shook her head and walked to the console.

"So, _when_ are we going?" Clara laughed at them, they were so incredible, so amazing, yet so…not domestic, that wasn't the right word as nothing about the Doctor, his son, or the way the boy was being raised was domestic, but…familial about them. You could tell just looking at them that they were a family, a close family, but they were just so extraordinary that you wouldn't think them boring raising a child together.

The Doctor pushed a button and spun around, "We're going always!"

Evy just face-palmed as he headed down the steps under the console.

"We're going...always?"

"TOTALLY!"

"Ignore him Clara," Evy answered.

"Please tell me that's not how LJ's gonna talk," Clara turned to the woman, "That's not an actual sentence."

Evy had to laugh, "No, he answers questions better than that, I can say."

Clara frowned, "How do you know?"

"We're time travelers Clara," she reminded her, patting LJ's head as he started chewing on the tail of his dinosaur figure, "We've met him all grown up."

"Really?" Clara blinked, before frowning, a bit suspicious as she thought on that. That man in the market of Akhaten, J he'd said his name was, he'd had a sonic (she'd _swear_ it), he sounded like the Doctor at times, but was as sharp as Evy, was he...she looked at Evy, "What's he look like?"

"Not like that…" she looked past her and at the Doctor, who was standing across from them now, with a _bright orange spacesuit_ held up in front of him.

"What do you think?" he spun around, showing off.

"Color's a bit boisterous," Clara frowned.

"I think it brings out my eyes."

"Makes my eyes hurt."

"Brings out your hair though," Evy countered, walking over to him.

"Really?" he grinned.

"Oh yes," she smiled, "Makes it look even more like the hair of an idiot than normal."

He pouted at that, and she leaned in to kiss him, Clara laughing at how LJ covered his eyes.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol, for some reason I could see LJ being the one to dare Clara to go with them, just because he's so cute and that was such a child-like moment that I could see her getting the child involved :) Aww, LJ's finally got her name right! Cute! And he's starting to actually talk more :) I can say that we'll see his first-ish sentence in the next chapter :)
> 
> Next chapter...LJ finally gets a pet!...but not in the way you'd expect. Evy teaches Clara a thing or two about backup plans. And Emma senses just a bit more to Clara than originally seen...


	21. Hide (Part 2)

Evy opened the TARDIS door for the Doctor in his spacesuit as his hands were full with the sonic and camera, letting him step out on the molten surface of the Earth, the sky gray with ash. He walked around, scanning with the sonic when he picked up a trace of something, lifting the camera to snap a few photos before heading back in.

Evy shut the doors as the Doctor held his hands up, "Back off!" he shouted, pulling off his helmet, "Hot suit! Hot, hot, hot!"

"You've got that right," Evy nodded and he looked at her, confused, "Hot suit, hot stuff in it," she smiled, leaning in to kiss him, not getting too close to burn herself on his suit though, "I was right," she smiled, pulling away.

"You always are," the Doctor nodded, "About what this time?"

"Very _hot_ ," she winked at him, making him grin widely, and headed to the console.

"When are we?" Clara smiled at them, sitting beside LJ on the floor, cross-legged, the boy seeming to be mimicking his mother by 'face-palming' and shaking his head at how embarrassing his parents were.

"6 billion years ago," the Doctor told her.

"I think it's more 4.6," Evy corrected lightly, flipping a few levers.

"And it's a Tuesday," the Doctor added, moving to lean against the console, just watching her work, he loved watching her work.

"Clara!" LJ called, holding up his Tricey toy, "Rar!"

Clara laughed and picked up the T-Rex toy, deepening her voice, "Roar!" she growled, starting to laugh, "Mine is an evil laugh."

"Bad!" LJ clapped, his parents just watching the two fondly, Clara really was fantastic with children, the perfect distraction for LJ at times.

~8~

LJ was pouting as he couldn't see much, there was a black net-like thing over his push pram to keep the giant insects out as they pushed him through a prehistoric jungle, the Doctor still snapping away.

~8~

They landed in the late Victorian era as well, just outside the newly built Caliburn House, snapping more photos of people walking around.

~8~

"Be careful!" Evy warned as she opened the doors to the TARDIS again.

"Back in a mo," the Doctor winked at her and headed to the doors.

"You ok Clara?" Evy asked, seeing Clara by the monitors, a bit…sad.

"Totally," she nodded, smiling tensely, "Peachy keen."

"Bad!" LJ huffed at her, crossing his little arms as he pouted at her, sad that she was lying to him.

"Yes, you _are_ a rather bad liar," Evy remarked, before shrugging, "Give it time, spend long enough around the Doctor you'll be able to lie instantly."

"Oi," the Doctor pouted, looking at Evy. She laughed and kissed her fingers, pressing them to his helmet, unable to really kiss him with it on. He beamed and pointed back at Clara, "Well, don't press any buttons or pull any levers, or make any funny faces. Actually, don't move. Stand completely still. Don't breathe. Well, you can breathe...but shallow breaths and..."

Evy shook her head, "Just go before I smack you Doctor."

He smiled at her and stepped out of the doors, Evy walking to the console after she'd shut them, and flicking the monitor on so they could watch him snapping pictures on a rather barren, desolate planet, red-skied.

"Clara what's wrong?" Evy asked, rubbing Clara's arm as she sighed, the Doctor stepping back into the room.

"Did the TARDIS say something to her?" he walked up to them, "Are you being mean?" and slapped the console.

"If you don't stop slapping her she's going to be mean to YOU," Evy pointed out.

"She's _already_ mean to me," he stuck his tongue out at her, "You girls with your girl codes and things, right? That's a real thing yeah? Girl codes?"

Evy shook her head, "Was it too much?" she asked Clara.

"A bit," Clara admitted, "Have we just watched the entire life cycle of the Earth? Birth to death?"

"Yes!" the Doctor nodded, moving to LJ and tickling him.

"Rar!" LJ held up his dinosaur at him.

"And you're ok with that?" Clara continued.

"Yes," he repeated.

"How can you be?"

"Clara, the TARDIS is…" Evy began.

"Wibbly Vortex and so on," the Doctor cut in, standing and winding an arm around Evy's waist, the suit now cool.

"Not helping dear," she turned to Clara, "It's just…how we see it, it's how we were raised to see it."

"That's not what I mean," Clara continued.

"Ok...some help?" the Doctor frowned as even _Evy_ looked confused, "Context? Cheat sheet? Something?"

"I mean, one minute you're in 1974, looking for ghosts but all you have to do is open your eyes and talk to whoever's standing there. To you, I haven't been born yet...and to you, I've been dead 100 billion years. Is my…" she swallowed, stepping closer to them and speaking quieter so as not to upset LJ, "Body out there somewhere? In the ground?"

"Yes, I suppose it is," the Doctor whispered back, moving away from the console, Evy moving to help him take the suit off.

"But here we are, talking. So I am...a ghost. To you, I'm a ghost...we're all ghosts to you. We must be nothing."

Evy smiled, "Just like Amy," she remarked.

"You're not that," the Doctor agreed, taking off his gloves.

"Then what are we?" Clara frowned, "What can we _possibly_ be?"

"Best!" LJ reached out and tugged her finger hanging by his face, having heard the last part of her question.

"Yes," the Doctor pointed at LJ, "Exactly."

Clara blinked and looked at Evy for help in understanding the two men, "You are the best life forms, the _greatest_ species, _the_ most indomitable giants to _ever_ roam the Universe."

"You are...the only mystery worth solving," the Doctor agreed, stepping out of his suit and straightening his bow-tie, "But right now we have another mystery to solve eh boyo?"

"Ghast!" LJ cheered, eager to find out what it was.

~8~

Evy stood with LJ in her arms as the Doctor set up a slide projector with the photos he'd taken, just bobbing the boy up and down, trying to calm him, he was getting fussy from all the excitement and finally learning what the 'ghast' was.

"What's wrong?" Emma moved over to Clara as she stared at the board of pictures of the ghost, not even needing to be empathetic to see something was bothering her.

"I just saw something I wish I hadn't," she sighed.

"What did you see?"

"That...everything ends."

"No, not everything. Not love..." she glanced back at Palmer, "Not always."

"Right!" the Doctor clapped, "Done! That's it, gather round, gather round. Roll up! Roll up!" he flipped the sonic on the projector as they all gathered around it, powering it up, using it as a clicker to switch the photos, "The Ghast of Caliburn House, never changing, trapped in a moment of fear and torment but what if she's not? What if she's just trapped somewhere time runs more slowly than it does here? What if a second to her was 100,000 years to us? And what if somebody has a magic box…"

"Blue!" LJ cut in.

"Yes, boyo, a blue one!" the Doctor cheered, getting just as excited as his son, "What if said somebody could take a snapshot of her, say, every few million years?" he started to flick the sonic, showing the photos of stills of a woman running, dressed in a white suit.

"She's not a ghost," Evy added as the humans stared at the slides, "She IS lost though, a lost soul. Specifically," she flicked her own sonic, turning it to the woman posed, smiling, a profile shot, "Hila Tacorian, a pioneer time traveler from the future."

"Time travel's not possible," Palmer argued, "The paradoxes..."

"Will resolve themselves," Evy cut in.

"By and large," the Doctor agreed.

"How long has she been alone?" Emma stared at the photo, something about that woman…

"Well, time travel's a funny old thing. I mean, from her perspective, she crash landed..." he glanced at his watch, "Three minutes ago."

"Crash landed? Where?"

"In a pocket universe," Evy explained, "Which is just a distorted echo of OUR Universe," she reached up and lightly pulled LJ's hand away from her hair as he tugged on it, "Sometimes they just happen, but they don't usually last long."

The Doctor blew up two balloons, two long ones that looked like snakes or noodles, and tied them so the air wouldn't get out, "Our Universe," he held up a blue one in his right hand, "Hila Tacorian's here," and the red in his left, "In a pocket universe. You're a lantern," he began, starting to twist the balloons together, making the humans flinch at the squeaking noises, "Shining across the dimensions, guiding her home. Back to the land of the liv…" and the blue one popped, "...ing, pretend that didn't happen," he grinned, turning to continue twisting the remaining red balloon.

"But what's she running from?" Emma shook her head.

"Well, that's the best bit. We don't know yet. It could be anything, even…" he held up the balloon, now shaped like a dog, "A puppy!" he cheered, handing it to LJ, "There you go boyo, finally got a pet eh?"

Evy rolled her eyes, "Ignore him," she pointed her sonic at the projector, "THIS is what she's running from…" she flicked it on and the humans gasped, seeing a distorted creature behind a tree, disfigured, on all fours, looking like a lumpy skeleton, which made Evy swallow and look away, she rather hated skeletons.

"Oh," the Doctor frowned, moving to Evy's side and slipping an arm around her, knowing she had a bit of a fear of them.

"What _is_ that?" Clara grimaced.

"I don't know," the Doctor breathed.

_Mummy can I have…_

' _NO,_ ' Evy cut in, already knowing he was going to ask for the creature even not knowing what it was, and she was NOT going to let a skeleton thing in the TARDIS.

"Still!" the Doctor grinned and clapped his hands, "Not to worry!"

"So, what do we do?" Emma looked at them.

"Not 'we,' _you_..." he looked at Emma "You save Hila Tacorian because you're Emma Grayling. You are the lantern, the rest of us are just along for the ride, I'm afraid. We need some sturdy rope, a blue crystal from Metebelis Three..."

"Plus, some Kendal Mint Cake," Evy added, following him out of the room.

"What?" the Doctor laughed, that was just like something random HE would say.

"Your son is hungry."

~8~

Clara was up on the console level, sitting on the edge of it as Evy sat on one of the side chairs, feeding LJ bits of the cake he'd requested, they were probably going to spoil the kid, but they loved him too much to care. She always tried to keep him from his sweets, but...there _were_ times where she just wanted him to be comforted, like now, and thought one little sweet wouldn't hurt. And, the man he grew up to be, (if they just did what they felt natural, they were sure he'd be that man,) was NOTHING like a spoiled child.

"Can't you just...y'know?" Clara asked, kicking her legs absently.

"What?" the Doctor glanced up from where he was digging through things under the console.

"Fly the TARDIS into the parallel universe?"

"POCKET universe," Evy corrected, "A _collapsing_ pocket universe."

"The TARDIS _could_ get in there, alright," the Doctor nodded, tossing the crystal he'd found in his hand and slipping it into his pocket as he made his way up to them, "But entropy would bleed her power sources, you see?"

Clara stared at him a moment, "Like...racing with a big hole in your petrol tank?"

"You see it's like racing with a big hole in your pet..." he trailed off, looking at her, well, apparently she DID see.

"Well done Clara," Evy nodded, "It would essentially trap the TARDIS there till the pocket universe decayed into the quantum foam…"

"Which would take about three minutes, give or take, you know," the Doctor shrugged, before laughing, seeing icing all over LJ's face, "Oh, my son you are _definitely_."

Evy just sighed with a fond smile and wiped her son's face off with one of her never-ending-supply of napkins.

~8~

Evy cautiously stepped over the mess of wires she and the Doctor had set up around the music room, LJ in his pram off to the side, eager to see what was going to happen, to see his parents in action, saving someone. He LOVED it when they did that.

The wires though, were a bit difficult to maneuver around, they were everywhere, hooked up to clocks and to a tripod in the middle of the room where a large, white egg-shaped sphere was set up, glowing.

Clara paused in wandering the room herself to look at the egg, tilting her head as she eyed it closely, a soft frown on her face, "What is that?" she reached out to touch it.

"No!" LJ called, having been watching her.

Clara pulled her hand away and looked at him, "Alright, I won't touch it," she promised the little boy, but he crossed his arms and gave her a disbelieving look, humans rarely _ever_ didn't touch what they were told not to touch, "I promise," she added, crossing her heart, but LJ just patted his other heart and she laughed, crossing her right shoulder too, the boy was _so_ used to seeing his parents do that that it sometimes confused him to think humans had only _one_ heart, "But really though," she turned to the Time Lords, who were making sure everything was ready with their sonics, "What is it?"

"It's a subset of the Eye of Harmony," Evy said.

Clara blinked and looked at it, "The Eye of Harmony," she repeated, for some reason...she couldn't help but think of a star.

There was a picture of a supernova she'd seen once that had a nickname 'The Eye of God,' perhaps that was why. But...supernovas, they were dying stars that exploded right? She remembered from science a dying star could go either way, supernova or black hole, and if it was an eye of harmony...and harmony meant balance...was it like...a star that was caught in the middle?

She shook her head, feeling a bit of a dull throbbing starting there, and rubbed it, "I don't..."

"Of course you don't," the Doctor agreed, "Be weird if you did, I barely do myself."

Clara frowned though, not noticing LJ watching her as she just...thought about it. That phrase, 'The Eye of Harmony' it sounded familiar but she couldn't place where.

"Because he has yet to pass his exams," Evy whispered to her, pulling her out of her thoughts.

"Oi!" he pointed at her like he was going to say something, when she crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, and he turned right back to Emma, not seeing Evy and Clara smirk behind him, "Right, you, sit down," he put a small sort of head-harness on her head with a large blue crystal in the middle of it, "All the way...from Metebelis Three."

"What does it do?" Emma shifted it a bit on her head.

"It'll amplify your natural abilities," Evy explained as she soniced a few of the clocks, "Like a…microphone."

"Yes," the Doctor nodded, "Or a pooper-scooper!"

They stared at him for that one…

Until the clocks started ticking.

"What exactly is this arrangement?" Palmer glanced at a clock

"A psychochronograph."

"Forgive me, but isn't it all a bit, well...make-do and mend?" Palmer frowned as Evy helped the Doctor into a harness.

They'd agreed HE would go in and get Hila, they both knew how she felt about skeletons and whatever the creature was that was after the woman was too much like it. She didn't want to freeze up and be useless, or be distracted and afraid, the Doctor hadn't wanted her to be scared at all…and they refused to let LJ try despite his complaints that he was big enough.

"Non-psychic technology won't work in there," Evy added, buckling the harness up.

"All I need to do is dive into another dimension, find the traveler, help her escape the monster, get home before the entire dimension collapses, and Bob's your uncle," the Doctor grinned.

_No making epic speeches!_ LJ grumbled.

The Doctor smiled and walked over, kneeling before the pram, "I promise boyo," he kissed his son's head.

"Evy?" Emma spoke quietly, "Will it hurt?"

"I'm not going to lie to you Emma," she crouched before the woman, "It _will_ hurt, very much, but you just need to focus on getting Hila and the Doctor home again, ok?"

Emma took a breath and nodded, closing her eyes, the sooner she did this, the sooner it would be over, "I'm talking to the lost soul that abides in this place. I'm speaking to Hila Tacorian."

The Doctor grabbed the end of a rope on a winch, Clara hooking it onto the back of the harness as the clocks went mad, some going backwards, others forwards, some stopping, some replaying the same second over and over.

Emma opened her eyes as an electric whir sounded and the spinning dish appeared again, faster this time, till it shattered and a swirl of white light blasted into existence, causing the humans to back away and shield their eyes as Evy braced herself, standing by LJ, squinting in it as the boy cheered.

"See?" the Doctor called back, "The Witch of the Well! It's a wormhole! A reality well! A door to the echo universe!"

"Emma are you ready?" Evy shouted to her.

"READY!" Emma yelled.

The Doctor looked at Evy, blowing her a kiss and then winking at LJ, "Geronimo!" he cheered, taking a running leap at the wormhole, clinging to the rope as he fell through it.

~8~

"Doctor!" Clara shouted as the winch and rope were pulled.

"Clara don't!" Evy called as Palmer grabbed her and held her back.

~8~

"Whoa!" the Doctor landed with a thump, looking around at the echo-forest he was in. He pulled the harness off and dropped it to the ground, running off, past the trees, only to stop short at a VERY high ledge, looking like he'd fall out of the pocket universe if he took a single step. It was a large floating island the pocket universe, on a sea of stars.

He backed up and ran into the woods again, "Hila! Hila! Hila Tacorian!"

He stopped short once more, hearing something whooshing around him, the creature. He stepped forward, a scampering sound starting, and spun around, unable to see anything, "One...two..." he closed his eyes, doing what he did with LJ when the boy needed encouragement, "Three!" he turned and ran off.

"Help me!" he could hear a woman vaguely shout in the distance, "Help!"

He jumped over a log and nearly ran into Hila as she dashed out of the fog, "Ah! Hila Tacorian, I presume," he grabbed her hand to pull her off.

"Who are you?" she pulled back.

He turned to take her hand again, "Collapsing universe. You and me, dead, two minutes. Have wife and son. No time, complete sentences, abandon planet!" he pulled her again.

But she stopped again, "Wait! There's something in the mist…"

"Then run! Run!" he succeeded in pulling her off this time, the two of them running through the woods.

" _Doctor, Doctor!_ " he could hear Emma calling, " _Come home. Doctor, come home!_ "

He paused, looking around, "Not that way. Which means...probably..." he stopped short, staring at the spot ahead of them.

"What's wrong?" Hila panted.

"You know that exit I mentioned?"

"Yes?"

"I seem to have misplaced it."

They tensed, hearing the scampering sound again and backed up to each other, frightened.

" _Doctor!_ "

The Doctor spun around, hearing Evy calling this time.

"This way!" he ran off.

~8~

"Doctor!" Evy was shouting through the portal as LJ cried beside her, it seemed that he thought they'd be able to _see_ the Doctor through the portal and when his father disappeared he'd been scared. Evy turned and picked him up out of his push pram to hold him, trying to comfort him.

"DOCTOR...come home!" Emma cried as Palmer kept hold of Clara.

~8~

The Doctor ran faster, hearing his son crying.

" _Doctor, we're here!_ " Emma yelled.

"Whoa!" he stopped short, pulling Hila back as a phantom of the Caliburn house appeared in the mist before them.

"What's that?" Hila frowned.

"An echo house, in an echo universe. Clever psychic, that is just top-notch!" he took her hand and they ran for the house.

" _Doctor!_ "

The Doctor glanced to the side to see the creature following them and was thankful Evy hadn't been there, it truly _was_ a gruesome skeleton thing.

" _Doctor!_ "

They ran into the front hall and shoved the doors shut behind them, locking them as a growling and snarling sounded on the other side. He put a finger to his lips and pressed his ear to the door, listening, "It's looking for a way in."

He leapt back when the door was rammed, pulling Hila away by the arm, up the stairs.

~8~

"I'm not strong enough!" Emma closed her eyes, crying at the pain.

"You've got to be now!" Evy told her, clutching LJ to her.

"Just a few more seconds!" Clara tore herself out of Palmer's hold and ran to Evy and LJ, Emma screaming behind her.

~8~

"Grab the rope," the Doctor ordered Hila as soon as they ran into the music room, seeing the harness lying there, "Give it three tugs! Quick as you like!"

"What about you?" she asked, putting the harness on.

"I'll be next," he promised, taking off his tie and winding it around the door to lock it while she tugged the rope.

~8~

"It's Hila!" Evy shouted, pointing at the rope.

Palmer ran over to the winch and began to crank the rope in, pulling Hila out of the well and into the room.

~8~

The Doctor turned to the wormhole, pausing when he heard the thumping against the door, the creature, and nodded, "Ah! Oh, that's what that noise was! Lovely."

~8~

"Emma no!" Evy gasped as Emma fell out of the chair, to her knees, the head-harness falling off her in the process, breaking the connection.

"No!" Clara cried as the portal disappeared, Palmer running to Emma's side, "Evy!" she turned and hugged the woman as she stared at where the portal had been, stunned, LJ sobbing in her arms.

Well…that hadn't quite gone as they'd hoped it would…

~8~

The Doctor frowned, seeing the portal gone, and took a step…ending up right back in the woods. The house was gone, the music room, everything, his bow-tie on the ground, and the creature, he knew, hiding around him.

"Oh, dear," he breathed, picking up his bow-tie, not taking his eyes off the trees.

~8~

Evy winced, hearing the cloister bell of the TARDIS sound, the box knowing her pilot was in danger.

"Shh," she hushed LJ as she cradled him, "Shh, it'll be alright, I swear it…"

~8~

The Doctor stood and looked around, "Oh... dear."

~8~

_But mummy, daddy's not here,_ LJ sniffled, _Where'd he go? How's he going to get back?!_

"Shh," she murmured, before speaking in a langue the others couldn't understand, " _I'll get him back, I promise Sigma, daddy' will be just fine._ "

LJ sniffled, and nodded, burying his face in her chest, neither of them noticing Clara looking at them oddly at the strange language.

~8~

The Doctor spun around, hearing a whooshing noise, "Where are you?" he called, before he heard the creature and ran.

~8~

Clara looked at the crying LJ and her heart broke for him, and seeing Evy so pale…the woman was _worried_ , she turned and ran back to Emma, "Wake up!" she she knelt down, "WAKE UP!" and shook her, her heart racing, she _had_ to get the Doctor back, for Evy and LJ, "Open the thing!"

"I'm sorry," Emma sighed, sounding so weak.

"Don't be sorry," Palmer murmured to her, stroking her hair, "Don't be. What you did..."

"Wasn't enough, she needs to do it again!" Clara shouted.

"She can't. Look at her!"

"She HAS to!" Clara stood, "We _can't_ leave him!"

"We won't," Evy nodded, turning, pulling herself together, "Clara, I think it's high time for you to see exactly how the Doctor's still alive."

"How?"

"Me," she smiled, kissing LJ's head...and placing the boy between Emma and Palmer, "I am trusting you with him," she pointed a warning finger at them, "You lot, try to open the portal again, Clara, with me, let's go!" she grabbed Clara's hand and they ran out of the room.

Palmer looked down at the little boy in his arms, like so many of the little boys who would grow without fathers because of him, he _couldn't_ do it to this boy, not again. He swallowed and looked at Emma, "I know you feel that you can't do this, Emma, but...look at that woman over there," they looked at Hila as she picked herself up, "You saved her. She's only here because of your strength and so am I."

Emma stared at him.

~8~

"What are we doing?" Clara asked as they ran to the TARDIS, "I thought you said it wouldn't last in that universe thingy."

"It wouldn't last _4 seconds_ ," Evy corrected, "There's lots you can do in four seconds if you're a decent pilot…"

Clara reached the doors first, pushing on them, but the doors wouldn't budge, "Oh, come ON!"

"Really?" Evy grumbled when the doors wouldn't even open for her, "What is your problem with her Sexy?!"

"Let us in, you grumpy old cow!" Clara nearly kicked the door, not even noticing Evy call the box 'Sexy,' of all things.

Evy blinked and looked at Clara, "Did you just call her a _cow_?!"

Clara winced, when there was a whir behind them, they turned to see an image of Clara standing there, "Whoa!"

"Voice visual interface," Evy muttered.

~8~

"I was as lost as her..." Palmer smiled at Emma, "But being with you...you give me a reason to be, Emma. You brought me back from the dead."

"Safe daddy!" LJ looked at her, tugging on her hair, "Peas!"

Emma swallowed hard and nodded, Palmer helping her stand, LJ in his one arm. Hila stood and moved over to them as Emma put the head-harness back on, reaching out to take LJ from Palmer, closing her eyes as they put their hands on her shoulders.

~8~

"The visual what face?" Clara glanced at her.

"The TARDIS Voice Visual Interface," the projection stated, "I'm programmed to select the image of a person you esteem. Of several billion such images in my databanks, _this_ one best meets the criterion."

Clara huffed and looked at Evy, "You can't deny she's a cow now!"

"You need to let us in," Evy cut in, looking at the interface, "We have to help the Doctor."

"The Doctor is in the pocket universe," the TARDIS stated.

"Please tell me you aren't going to state the obvious and repeat yourself like in Berlin!"

"You can enter the pocket universe," Clara argued.

"The entropy would drain the energy from my heart," the TARDIS repeated, "In four seconds, I'd be stranded. In ten, I'd be dead."

"You're talking but all I hear is, 'meh, meh, meh.' Come on, let's go!" she tried the doors again but nothing happened.

"Listen to me," Evy stepped before the projection, " _I_ am going to be piloting you, I can get us in and out in under 4 seconds, and you know it. Now open those doors or we are going to have words about this later! Do YOU want to explain to LJ why his daddy's dead and his mummy's in hell?!"

The projection blinked out and the doors clicked open.

"Ok, not that I'm not happy about the doors opening," Clara followed Evy in, "But...what as that about?"

She could sense more to it than trying to talk the TARDIS around, feeling like there was more than just devastation over losing your 'spouse' at her words of 'being in hell,' but she didn't know what.

"It's a long story," Evy waved her off, "I'll tell you later, right now...I'm going to need your help Clara."

~8~

Emma took a breath, holding LJ close, using his presence to connect to the Doctor's, "Doctor?" she swallowed, seeing the dish appear, "Can you hear me? DOCTOR?!"

"Daddy!" LJ called.

"Doctor? Can you hear me?" she shouted as the portal opened.

~8~

The Doctor stopped suddenly...

" _Daddy!_ "

~8~

"Hold that level no matter what!" Evy shouted as she pulled a lever and the TARDIS flew off, tumbling everywhere.

"Ah!" Clara shrieked, turning a knob, trying to keep her balance...before laughing, "Whoa!"

~8~

" _Doctor, we're here,_ " Emma's voice echoed in the pocket universe, " _Come home!_ "

The Doctor looked around, seeing the house, "Emma?"

" _Daddy!_ "

"LJ!" he shouted, running on…when he heard a snarl.

He stopped and spun around, "What do you want? To frighten me, I suppose, eh? Because that's what you do. You hide. You're the bogeyman under the bed. Seeking whom you may devour. Ah! Ah. You want me to be afraid? Well too bad," he spun, seeing the creature behind a tree, "I am going home to my family and you _aren't_ going to stop me!"

~8~

"Almost got it..." Evy pulled threw up a switch, causing sparks to shoot up.

"Wah!" Clara gasped, "Oh, oh!" she jolted forward, pushing herself half onto the console just as Evy reached for a lever, pulling it down for her instead, "Whoa!"

~8~

" _Doctor...hurry!_ " Emma panted as he looked around, tense.

He spun around, hearing the creature but it was gone moments later, "So why am I still here, huh? Why not just...eat me? Huh? Come on. Because you still need me! Yeah, you need me to piggyback you across," he laughed, "To which I say...come on then, big boy...chase me!" and he took off, hearing the creature chasing him.

_Just_ as he made it to the edge of the house…the creature tackled him to the ground, onto his back. He gaped at the sight of it up close and personal, its face skeletal, looking like it was melting.

"Woo-hoo!" he heard someone shout, "Woo!"

"Duck!" Evy's voice called over the TARDIS comms..

He looked up and laid flat on his back as the TARDIS appeared, whizzing over them, knocking the creature off him.

He jumped to his feet, grinning, and ran for it, grabbing on just as it flew back past him and disappeared...

~8~

Emma screamed, Palmer grabbing LJ from her as she fell to her knees, the TARDIS appearing right in the doorway where the dish had been, the portal fading. They looked over to see the Doctor leaning on the side, braced against it, more like clinging to it, panting. He stayed like that even as the doors opened and Evy stepped out, brushing her hands together.

"And that, Clara," Evy smiled, "Is how you not only come up with a masterful backup plan, but also save a Time Lord," she turned and kissed the Doctor's cheek, before walking over to Palmer and taking LJ, "Now I think we all need a nice cup of tea, I'll go put some on."

And with that, she walked out of the room, the humans and the Doctor staring at her.

"Um…one moment," the Doctor said before stumbling out of the room after her in a rush.

"Where's he going?" Hila asked.

Emma smiled, "To 'thank' her."

Clara just slumped against the door frame of the box and smiled…until the TARDIS closed the doors on her and knocked her on her face to the floor. She rolled onto her back and glared at it, "Rude!"

~8~

That morning the sun was shining as Clara, LJ, Palmer, and Hila walked outside, the Time Lords watching their son closely from a window when Emma approached them from behind, "You wanted a word?"

"Yes!" the Doctor cheered, spinning around to face her...when Evy whacked him, "I mean, if that's..."

"That's fine," Emma laughed, before seeing them grow serious, "You didn't come here for the ghost, did you?"

"No," Evy sighed.

"You came here for _me_."

"Yes."

"Why?"

They glanced at each other, "There was something we needed to ask you," Evy began carefully."

"Then ask."

"Clara..."

"Yes?"

The Doctor walked over to Emma as Evy turned to look at the woman with her son, "What is she?" he whispered.

"She's a girl," Emma stated, that was quite obvious really.

"Yes, but what _kind_ of girl? Specifically."

"She's a perfectly ordinary girl. Very pretty..."

"Hmm."

"...very clever..."

He hummed, turning back to Evy's side, wrapping his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder as he looked over it at Clara as well, "Hmm."

"More scared than she lets on."

"Aren't they all?" Evy murmured.

"And that's it, is it?" the Doctor looked back at Emma.

Emma frowned, "Why? Is that not enough?"

They looked at each other, that wasn't much of a help, and turned to go.

"She's important though," Emma called, making them pause and glance back at her, "More important than you think."

~8~

Evy stood beside Palmer as LJ babbled excitedly in her arms about the TARDIS the man was staring at. The Doctor and Clara walking behind Hila and Emma as the two women hugged, the Doctor moving to join them as Clara laughed.

"Where will you go?" Emma asked.

"They can't take me home," Hila shrugged, "History says I went missing."

"But they can change history."

"No, no, no, we can't, actually," the Doctor stepped up, "There are fixed points in time you see..."

"Doctor?" Evy called as she walked over with LJ, "Don't make me smack you."

"Right," he nodded, kissing her quickly and stepping back with her and Clara.

"I knew you were there..." Hila told Emma, "I could feel you."

"I know..." Emma stared at her as Evy put a finger to her lips at the Doctor opening his mouth.

"Have we..."

"We can't have. You haven't even been born yet."

"No, you can't have met but she _can_ be your great-great-great-great-great-granddaughter," the Doctor beamed as Palmer walked over, hearing that, "Yours too, of course! But you'd guessed that already, hadn't you?" he glanced at them, looking stunned, then Evy, shaking her head, "Oh...apparently not."

"The paradoxes..." Palmer frowned.

"Resolve themselves, by and large."

"It's why the psychic link was so powerful with Emma," Evy walked over, putting LJ in the Doctor's arms for emphasis, "Blood is thicker than anything."

"Not everything ends, eh?" the Doctor kissed LJ's head and slapped Palmer on the arm, "Not love. Not always."

"Doctor, Evy," Palmer followed them to the TARDIS, "What about, what about...us? Emma and me?"

"What about you?"

"Well, what's supposed to happen? I mean, what do we do now?"

Evy smiled widely, "I think something like this…" and turned to grab the Doctor's face, kissing him soundly, deeply, Clara even managing to walk by and pluck LJ from his hold he was that dazed, "Only perhaps lying down and in a bed," Evy added, smirking as Palmer blushed, "What do you think Doctor?"

The Doctor stood there, stunned for quite a while, before blinking, "Or…" his voice cracked, "Hold hands, you could do that too. Hold hands and don't let go. That's the secret…" he trailed off, staring ahead a moment…

Holding hands...

Something holding hands...

Something holding Clara's hand...

"I'm so...slow!" he smacked his head when Evy grabbed his hands, holding them down to keep him from doing it again as he looked at her, "I am slow, I'm notorious for it, that's always been my problem…"

"You get there eventually," she laughed.

"Oh, yes!"

"Doctor?" Clara eyed them, "Evy?"

"How do sharks make babies?"

"Carefully?"

"No, no, no, _happily_!"

"Sharks don't actually smile. They're just...well, they've got lots and lots of teeth. They're quite eaty aren't they LJ?" she looked at the toddler.

_Mummy can I have a shark instead of the balloon puppy?!_ LJ looked at her with wide eyes.

' _Goldfish or nothing at all, no sharks,_ ' she countered.

LJ pouted, falling silent, he wanted the shark over the goldfish any day!

The Doctor laughed at his boy but continued to explain to Clara what they'd realized, "But birds do it, bees do it, even educated FLEAS do it. Don't you see?"

Clara stared at him blankly.

Evy smiled, "Everyone needs someone."

Clara followed them as they ran to the side of the house and looked up, seeing one of the creatures in the window, "There's two of them?!"

"It's the oldest story in the Universe," the Doctor nodded, "This one, or any other. Boy and girl fall in love, get separated by events...war, politics, accidents in time. She's thrown out of the HEX," he put his arm around Evy's waist, "Or he's thrown into it. Since then they've been yearning for each other across time and space, across dimensions, this isn't a ghost story, it's a _love_ story!" he grinned and kissed Evy, before running back to the other humans, "Excuse me! Excuse me! Sorry to interrupt the rest of your life," he turned to Emma, "So...tiny favor to ask..."

~8~

The Doctor and Evy dropped down into the woods of the pocket universe, Evy holding onto the harness, ready to be a physical connection to the portal so it wouldn't disappear again and so that the Doctor would be able to use the Link to find her again as he ran off.

"I'm sorry!" he shouted, "I understand now! I can take you to her! I can take you to a safe place far away from here! You can be together! Well, come on then! She's WAITING!" he tensed, feeling something breathing on him and turned to see the twisted necked thing behind him, "Well, hello again, you old Romeo, you! Come on!" he turned, following the pull of the Link back to Evy, "Here we go!"

They all grabbed onto the harness this time, pulled right out of the pocket and into the Universe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh LJ, I can only imagine the collection of animals he might one day come to have. Lol, maybe he'll be the Vet or the Zookeeper instead of the Captain? Hmm...nah, I like Captain better :) I just love how much like the Doctor he is :)
> 
> Ooh, but next chapter we get the TARDIS, who will end up where?
> 
> Next chapter...Evy gives a lesson in lying, LJ has (surprisingly) more focus than his parents do, and we'll see quite a few similarities between Evy and the TARDIS.


	22. Journey to the Center of the TARDIS (Part 1)

LJ was sitting in his bouncy chair, Evy across from him, trying to feed him. They'd learned early on NOT to try and feed him when he was sitting with his toys...he tended to throw things or hit them with it if it was the 'bad food'...which was basically anything except sweets. He seemed hungry enough, he wasn't complaining and he was eating, but...he seemed far more interested in watching Clara walk around the console, the Doctor walking after her, than watching for when the spoon got close to him. Evy had told them what Clara had called the TARDIS and the Doctor was currently trying to make amends for the two 'women.' They'd gotten _quite_ the earful from the TARDIS once Clara had gone home after their last adventure, she was NOT happy that the girl had called her a cow...

And then LJ had asked for a cow.

They were starting to suspect their son was just asking for whatever animal was being discussed at the moment just to try and tease/annoy his mummy.

"You said..." the Doctor began, still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that someone had called _the TARDIS_ that. She was the best ship in the Universe!

"I know what I said," Clara huffed, " _I_ was the one who said it."

"You said it was looking at you funny!"

"I was _tired_. Overwrought. I didn't mean it. It's an appliance. It does a job."

"Wow!" LJ cheered.

The Doctor nodded and pointed at him, "He's right," and then at Clara, "It's a pretty cool appliance," before he knocked on the console, "We're not talking cheese grater here!"

Clara rolled her eyes and moved over to Evy's side, kneeling down and taking the food from her automatically, "You're _not_ getting me to talk to your ship," she turned, making the TARDIS wheezing noise as she made the spoon fly, pulling LJ's attention over at the funny noise and open his mouth, the boy eating happily when the 'TARDIS' landed, "That's properly bonkers."

"You _do_ realize you're feeding a Time Baby, the son of a madman in a bow-tie and a 'space cowgirl,' blue mush in the middle of a tiny yet bigger-on-the-inside wooden spaceship that travels in time, yes?" Evy laughed, getting up, leaving LJ to Clara.

LJ had grown quite attached to Clara, seeming to like her more than the TARDIS did at that point, which was fine with them, the girl was quite charmed by the adorable baby as well. It was nice to be able to leave LJ with someone and know he was safe. Even if they only _ever_ left him _in_ the TARDIS with Clara, trusting the box to defend him if anything happened. Whenever they stepped _outside_ , though, he was with _them_ unless it was absolutely necessary for his safety for him to go with her, like in Akhaten.

They still weren't completely sure what Clara was, how she was possible, so they _couldn't_ let themselves trust her as much as they wanted to. Not till they knew. They couldn't take that risk, not with LJ.

LJ though, didn't seem to mind. He especially loved playing with Clara's hair. Usually he would tug on someone's hair when he first met them, to look at it, then he'd only tug on it for attention, but with Clara he just seemed to like the color of it and the length. She often wore her hair down which made it easily accessible. Not that he could at the moment though as her hair was pulled back into a bun.

"It's ok," the Doctor stroked the console, trying to calm her before the tantrum they could sense coming happened, "It's ok."

"You're like one of those guys who can't go out with a girl unless his mother approves," Clara muttered.

Evy laughed, "No, that'll be LJ," she ran her fingers through his little brown locks as she passed his chair, helping the Doctor. She felt quite outnumbered now that she thought about it, she was the only light-haired one of the four of them, Clara and the Doctor and LJ had darker hair. But that was fine, LJ had her past incarnation's eyes and HER nose that was all she wanted, just a hint of her in him, "Won't it?" she asked her son.

LJ gave a firm nod, "Yes mummy!"

He loved his mummy and daddy _very much_ and he knew how important family was. He would never _ever_ do anything to disappoint them, or at least he'd try his best not to, and anyone who didn't like his family he wouldn't like in return. Family was _everything_. But his parents seemed to like Clara well enough. His daddy was a bit curious as to what the girl was but his mummy seemed content to just find out when it happened, having a backup plan incase it wasn't a good thing. He personally thought it might be a nice thing though, Clara was nice.

"It's important to us you get along," the Doctor looked at Clara, "We could leave you alone together."

"Now you're creeping me out," Clara pointed at him, when LJ finished the last of his food and she laughed, seeing there was a bit of a mess around his mouth and wiped it off with a napkin lying before him.

Evy eyed the action with a small smile, it was almost scary how similar Clara and LJ were to her and the Doctor, despite LJ being a baby. He was JUST like his father in making a mess but Clara seemed to have enough experience with children and messes to clean it up.

"Take the wheel...not the wheel!" the Doctor offered.

"I'll make sure everything's set down to basic for you," Evy nudged the Doctor, it never went well when humans tried to pilot the box at its usual settings.

"Basic!" Clara stood, a bit offended, "'Cos I'm a human?"

"Yes," Evy said bluntly.

Clara had to shrug at that.

The Doctor just smiled and walked over to LJ, picking him up, and setting the boy down on the ground, "Come on boyo," he cheered, "Let's watch our girls fly the TARDIS eh?"

"Yay!" he clapped as Evy turned a key in the console, shutting the TARDIS down to basic, before running-waddling to Clara, grabbing her hand to pull her to the console, eager to 'help' teach her.

~8~

Things were going surprisingly well for Clara...after Evy had ordered the Doctor to sit down when he'd tried to teach her…and ended up confusing her and nearly blowing the TARDIS up in the process. So SHE took over, LJ watching from his father's lap as things were going swimmingly, his mummy was quite patient with Clara and always explained what she needed to know.

"That switch there," she nodded.

Clara smiled as she reached out and pulled it…

Only for the lights to go out.

"What have I done?" Clara gasped, alarmed, the lights now turning red.

"Er..." the Doctor stood and walked over with LJ, even the boy seemed serious all of a sudden, knowing the red lights were NOT the good lights, "Ok…"

"Bad?" LJ looked at his mummy as she moved around the console to the monitor.

"Very bad," she nodded when the screen began to crack.

"Evy, what's wrong?" Clara tensed, fearing the worst, that she'd broken the box. Oh how was the machine ever going to like her now?!

"Every electrical control is jammed," Evy shook her head, "The shields won't go back up…" she grabbed a lever but it wouldn't budge, "We're sitting ducks!"

"I swear I just _touched_ it," Clara turned to the Doctor and LJ, though the man got the impression she was talking more to LJ than him.

Evy managed to get the lever down, but sparks flew out of the console, the TARDIS starting to shake, throwing them backwards, the Doctor twisting so his back hit the railing, clutching LJ close to his chest, protecting him.

"Doctor!" Evy called, "Papoose!" she shouted, knowing things were about to get bumpy and NOT about to risk LJ getting thrown somewhere or hurt. He was getting a bit big for the papoose, but it was their only option at the moment. She grabbed it as he threw it to her, putting it on quickly as he ran to the console, to the monitor, looking at it.

"Magnetic hobble-field," he cried, "We're flying right into it. Clara, stay by me!"

"LJ," Evy rushed over, taking the boy from the Doctor so he could pilot, slipping him into her papoose as Clara moved to help.

"Please tell me there's a button you can press to fix this," Clara yelled as she helped tie LJ in, his face to Evy's front, protected.

"Oh, yes," the Doctor called, "Big friendly button."

"He's lying, isn't he?" Clara asked Evy.

"Yes," she nodded.

"To stop me freaking out?"

"Yes."

"It's not working," she told them.

"It never does!" Evy agreed, running back to the console to help the Doctor, her one arm around LJ for extra protection, when the TARDIS jolted again, sending Clara falling to one of the back railings as the Time Lords grabbed the console.

Clara looked down as a device, a round thing, rolled over to her. She frowned and picked it up, dropping it quickly with a gasp as it burned her hand. There was another explosion that lit up the room as the Time Lords were thrown back with a scream, clutching LJ between them…

"Clara!" a little voice shouted.

~8~

The Time Lords woke with a gasp to find themselves lying on a pile of rubbish, the TARDIS behind them, in the middle of a salvage heap. They immediately looked between them to see LJ was completely fine and safe, nestled between his parents, the two of them having shielded him from any sort of harm.

He was squirming though, "Clara!" he was calling.

They looked around and saw that Clara really wasn't there, but they could hear three men arguing from somewhere. They stood up and looked over the TARDIS to see three black men in overalls standing there, clearly they were in a salvage ship of some sort.

They looked at the TARDIS to see that she looked ok, but hearing the men grumbling about not being able to get in meant the box had to be in bad shape inside. They winced, this would NOT be pretty to hear later. They'd probably have to get Clara to put LJ to bed so the box wouldn't influence his language any more than it already was. They STILL didn't know where his potty mouth had come from. Jack was surprisingly censored around his godson.

And speaking of Clara…the men had to have seen her or moved her or something, so they made their way towards them.

"…did nothing," one of the men was saying, speaking so authoritatively that he must have been the leader of the bunch, "If _anyone_ asks, that ship was already busted. You got that?"

Evy raised an eyebrow at that, shaking her head. She looked over to see that the Doctor was frowning at them, his arms crossed, and looked down at LJ who was crossing his arms as well, looking at the Doctor, mimicking his daddy. She smiled and gently pulled him out of the papoose, turning him around, so he could hang from her front, letting him see out. She wasn't going to set him down on the ground, with that pile of rubbish she could only imagine what sort of trouble he'd get into, no, best to keep him close.

"Clara!" he called again.

"It's alright boyo," the Doctor quieted him, "We'll find her," he took Evy's hand, "Come on," and led her carefully down the pile and to the men who hadn't noticed them.

"And you," the leader turned to what seemed to be the youngest member, "Make sure you keep your oily-mouth shut."

"It's rude to whisper," Evy called, seeing the men jump and spin around to see her and the Doctor there.

"Hi!" the Doctor moved over to them, shaking their hands, "I'm the Doctor," he shook the first man's hand, "That's Evy and our son, LJ," and the second man's, "And you are..." he squinted at a patch on their uniforms, "Van Baalen and…Van Baalen. Van Baalen and Van Baalen," before shaking the third man's hand, that man without a patch, as Evy joined them, "That's going to get confusing later," he commented to her.

"We found you drifting," the leader stated.

"Really?" Evy scoffed.

"Your ship was junked-up pretty bad," the tallest man added.

Evy patted them on the shoulders, "You're rubbish liars," she told them as they stiffened, "If you're going to lie, which you shouldn't since it ISN'T," she looked pointedly at the Doctor, "A lesson I want our son to learn," and back to them, "You might want to make sure we can't hear you talking about how you're going to lie to us before you do. What broke our ship was a magno-grab."

The Doctor held up a device he'd nicked out of the leader's pocket when he'd shaken the man's hand, a round sort of device, the same device Clara had picked up, "Found this remote in your pocket. Eh? What are the chances? Outlawed in most galaxies. This little beastie can disable whole vessels unless you have shield oscillators…" he moved to slap his forehead, but Evy grabbed his hands to keep him from doing that, knowing him well enough to know he'd likely do it.

"Which _I_ turned off so that Clara could try and learn to fly the TARDIS," she took the remote from him.

"Clara!" LJ shouted.

"Yes, where is she?" the Doctor turned to the men, "Girl. About so high. Feisty."

"Pre-tee," LJ added, nodding.

Evy smiled, "Aww, I think he's got his first crush," she pinched LJ's cheeks as he tried to push her hands away, pouting and whining.

"Bless," the Doctor smiled, before looking at the men again, "Well?"

But they just stared at the trio of Time Lords blankly.

"Oh my God," Evy breathed, realizing what had to have happened if the men didn't recognize their description of Clara, looking at the TARDIS, "She's still in the TARDIS!"

The Doctor turned to run for the box but the youngest member grabbed his arm, "No, wait, your pod is leaking fuel. If she's still in there, she's dead."

"No!" LJ pouted, though his parents could see tears in his eyes, he truly was scared Clara might be dead.

He was so young and, while _they_ were used to companions coming and going, some...some dying...they did NOT want their child to be. It was already bad enough that he'd seen 'Lara' die in Victorian London, made the connection to 'Ozzy' that she had died as well, the little boy did NOT want to lose 'Cara' (though he called her Clara now) either. He _really_ didn't want to lose Clara, not after having lost the other hers. He was as determined as his parents were to protect their companions despite being just a toddler.

"She's not," Evy promised, squeezing LJ's hand with one of her own before crossing her hearts with the other.

The Doctor looked around, spotting something over by some lockers, "Ah. Respirators!" he ran over to them, finding four functioning ones and two semi-broken/discarded ones, not so broken that a little sonic help wouldn't fix them right up. He tossed them to Evy, knowing she was better at fixing things in a hurry than he was.

"We can open the doors for a split second, reach in, and grab her," the leader nodded.

The Doctor tossed them three of the working respirators and kept one for himself, "Trust me, we can't," he turned and put it over LJ's face as he squirmed.

"Now, please, help us get her out," Evy looked at them, tossing the Doctor one of the newly-repaired respirators.

"I'm telling you, she fried..." the youngest started.

"Shut it, tin-mouth!" the leader cut in and eyed the trio, "What sort of fee are we talking?"

"Tardy!" LJ called though the respirator.

The Doctor and Evy looked at LJ, then, each other, then the TARDIS, and back, he certainly was their son if he was willing to do anything to save the companion. The Doctor nodded, "If you help us get her out," he began, "You get the machine, all the scrap, eh?"

' _She REALLY isn't going to like that,_ ' Evy remarked.

"It's not worth the risk," the taller man countered, "Four feet of metal? Nah."

"Four feet of metal?" Evy scoffed, "That's all you think is behind those doors?" she nodded at the box, shaking her head, "Behind those doors is the best salvage of your lives."

The leader considered that a moment, clearly not believing her, "Bram, open the bay doors," before turning to walk away with the taller man, Bram, ready to chuck the box out into space.

"No, no, please, stop!" the Doctor called, "Listen, listen. Right behind those doors really IS the salvage of a lifetime, cross my hearts," he crossed them.

The men eyed him before the leader sighed, "Suit up."

"But Gregor…" the youngest began, seeming uncomfortable with the idea of salvaging the ship.

"Shut it Tricky," Gregor, the leader, snapped at the youngest, before turning to gear up with Bram, Tricky sighing as he followed.

"Hey," Bram whispered to him, not seeing the Time Lords watching them carefully, Evy lightly bobbing LJ to calm him down, the boy really was anxious to make sure Clara was ok, "Are we really going to risk it? That thing is spewing _poison_. We should blow it back into space."

"Get your gear," Gregor stated.

"Hey! I don't take orders from my kid brother."

"Don't try and form sentences, alright? Stick to what you do best," he patted Bram's cheek and turned to grab his stuff as Bram sighed and walked back, pulling a respirator onto the top of his head.

Evy flashed the respirator in her hand with the sonic, fixing it, the sonic picking up another trace from Tricky, "Tricky," she called, glancing at the results before she eyed the man, "Since when do androids need blast suits and respirators?"

"Flesh coating," Bram cut in, "Same as us. He'd burn up."

"No fear, no hate, no pain," Tricky agreed, slipping the respirator over his nose and mouth.

' _He's about as much an android as Sigma is a human child,_ ' Evy scoffed to the Doctor silently.

He looked at her as she held up her sonic, his eyes widening as he saw the man was _human_ , only with robotic eyes and voice. He frowned why did he think he was a robot though?

' _No time to think about that,_ ' Evy reminded him, slipping her respirator on.

He nodded, ' _Time to find Clara,_ ' he agreed, patting LJ's head before he pulled his mask on too, heading to the doors. He climbed onto the ledge and stuck the key in the lock. The TARDIS was on full alert, not even Evy's trick with the lock would open the doors no matter how much the box loved her.

"'Salvage of a lifetime?'" Gregor called as Evy joined the Doctor up on the pile.

"I feel pretty confident we can deliver on that," he said, taking a breath, "There we go!" he kicked the doors open and leaned back as smoke literally blew past him. The men slipped their goggles on and turned on handheld torches.

Evy pulled out her sonic, acting like a torch, and followed the Doctor in as he jumped down into the box, her after him. The gravity had automatically redirected inside, making everything seem right-side up despite the box lying on its side.

"I don't get it," Gregor hopped in, looking around, "I thought she was lying on her side."

"Really?" Evy looked at him, gesturing around her, "This giant room, that little box, and THAT'S what you wonder?"

"The TARDIS is special," the Doctor shrugged, "She has her own gravity. I'd explain if I had some charts and a board pen," he moved to the console.

"It's...it's bigger..." Tricky stared.

"NOW we get it," Evy smiled as LJ clapped, he _loved_ it when people said that almost as much as he loved his daddy's epic speeches... _almost_.

"On the inside," the Doctor finished, patting LJ's head as Evy moved over to him, "Do you know, we get that a lot."

"Whoa," Bram breathed, "Awesome!"

"Should really get more of THAT though," Evy smiled.

"Well put," the Doctor grinned, "Whoa and awesome," he smiled as Evy hit a switch and the extractor fans sucked the smoke through the vents, "Safe to breathe," he called, pulling LJ's respirator off, the boy smushing at his face with his hands to rub it from the mask, before he did the same to Evy, kissing her quickly when his own was off. He always hated when her lips were covered up, he loved having free access to them...like now...

"Ick!" LJ squirmed between them, "Clara!"

"Right," Evy nodded, needing to get back to task, a bit embarrassed her baby boy, of all people, had had to remind her about the danger going on, "The last place Clara was, was here," she moved over, "Then we got hit and she fell…" she turned around, moving to the railing, "Back here…" she pulled out her sonic, scanning the area as the Doctor pulled his out as well, scanning around the console incase Clara had moved around there after the blast.

"Come on, Clara," he murmured, "Talk to us."

"How big _is_ this baby?" Bram asked.

"Picture the biggest ship you've ever seen. Are you picturing it?"

"Yeah."

"Forget it," Evy smirked, "This ship is _infinite_ ," she glanced at the men, a thought striking her, before she walked back over to the console and pressed her sonic to it, sending a look at the Doctor as he smiled, seeing the plan in her mind, and typed away.

"It could take you hours to find the girl…" Gregor frowned.

" _Days_ ," the Doctor nodded, "Plus the whole place is toxic. She could be dead by the time we reach…ow!" the Doctor winced as Evy whacked him. He looked at her and she pointed to LJ who was looking up at him with big, wide, worried blue eyes, "Sorry boyo, you know we'll find her LONG before then," he kissed his son's head. It really was so sweet how attached the boy was to Clara, how worried he was about her.

"Now then," Evy nodded, "We need to find her in an hour."

"We?" Gregor gave them a look.

"Yes, _we_ ," Evy crossed her arms.

"You're our guys for this," the Doctor nodded.

But Gregor shook his head, "That wasn't the deal."

"Well it is now," Evy said firmly, LJ starting to smile, watching his parents deal with the less-than-honorable men.

"What makes you think we'll help?" he countered.

"Because I suspected you might try to back out," she told him, "And I'm _very_ good at backup plans. Doctor," she glanced at him.

He flipped two levers down on the console and a countdown appeared on the monitor, "I just activated the TARDIS self-destruct system. One hour until this ship blows."

Bram ran for the doors but Evy flashed her sonic at the console and the doors slammed shut, locking him out, "That's a bit useless," she warned him, flipping the sonic in her fingers and putting it in her holster as LJ clapped.

"Mummy best!" LJ cheered.

She grinned, "I've set the TARDIS to lockdown mode," she added to the men, "Those doors will only open once we've found Clara again."

"You crazy lunatics!" Bram shoved on the doors.

"Our ship, our rules!" the Doctor shouted, turning to face the man, a hard look on his face for his Link being called such a name.

' _Luna,_ ' she reminded him, ' _Luna-tic. Tick Tock. Clocks, time, Time Lady_ ,' she shrugged, ' _It works._ '

He smiled at her for that.

"You'll kill us all," Gregor frowned, "You, us, your kid, and the girl."

"She's going to die if you don't help us," the Doctor shrugged, "And LJ is rather adamant that we find Clara no matter the cost, right boyo?"

"Yes!" LJ nodded, crossing his little arms, trying to look determined and serious and just a bit threatening like his daddy...which only really looked adorable on both of them.

Evy, though was still watching Bram try to get out, Tricky having moved to help him, "Didn't your mother ever teach you not to get into a spaceship with a madman?"

"Ok," the Doctor sighed, seeing Gregor go to help the men too, "A little gentle persuasion. Say 30 minutes…" he flicked a switch and pushed a button and the countdown flickered to 30 minutes.

"She'll die even quicker now!" Bram yelled.

"Let's see how well you perform under pressure then," Evy smirked as LJ clapped, he _loved_ it when his parents did that, got one up on someone else.

"Anybody want to go for 15 minutes?" the Doctor moved to push the button again when the men hesitated.

"Whoa!" Bram spun around.

"Whoa!" Gregor agreed, all of them holding up their arms to stop him.

"It's your own time you're wasting," the Doctor smirked, "Salvage of a lifetime."

"You thought we were talking about the ship," Evy tsked, "We were talking about Clara."

"Come on then," the Doctor nodded, turning to lead them down the stairs to the halls, "Best get on with it."

The Time Lords walked down the corridor as the men followed them, the Doctor pulling out his sonic to help Evy though he mostly led the way with it as she watched LJ.

"Guys, guys," Gregor rushed over, having been lagging behind, a small sort of scanner in his hand, "Look. I think we should split up. It's our best chance of finding the girl. You know it is."

The Doctor checked his watch, "Don't touch a thing," he warned them.

"The TARDIS is already cross with you," Evy pointed at the men, "She'll get extra huffy if you leave more of a mess."

"Keep in radio contact, alright?" Gregor looked at Tricky as he moved to follow the Time Lords, leaving him with Bram, "Get back to the console. Strip it apart. Alright?"

Bram grinned and they split up.

~8~

Clara was a bit scared, to be honest, as she wandered through the halls of the TARDIS, debris everywhere, the emergency lights on, and...things...lurking around the corners. She'd woken up not too long ago, half-buried under a pile of light metal, and found herself alone in the TARDIS corridors. She'd tried to find the Doctor or Evy or even LJ but they were nowhere. She'd wandered around a bit, nearly gotten torched by an explosion, but survived. And then she'd noticed a long series of claw marks on the wall, like someone had dragged their nails against it.

She was just in the process of examining it...when she suddenly looked over, hearing a growling noise sound and spun around, not sure where it was coming from, which way, up or down the hall. She ran off down a third, to an intersection, spinning around once more and picking a random direction. She nearly stumbled back though when she heard the growling closer, knowing that whatever was making it was about to step around the corner in front of her. She turned, dashing into the nearest door, closing it behind her, panting as she tried to catch her breath.

She frowned, the room was dark, very dark, she couldn't even make anything out really. She had no idea what was in it, if anything, or even how big it was. She walked forward, her arms out before her, praying she wouldn't hit anything disgusting...and came to a wall. She felt along it, to one side, and another, making rounds around it, before she came to the center of the room, nearly tripping as her shoe scuffed something. She frowned, kneeling down and feeling around for what it might be, only to feel just a...thing, in the floor. Like a flat chip...with a button on it. She pressed it and gasped, jumping up and stumbling back as the lights turned on...well, not lights, not really.

She frowned, tilting her head as she saw the room now. It had changed, it seemed bigger, like...she was standing at a temple or something. She glanced back, she could feel the wall but it looked like there was no wall there just...two men standing there in funny robes and weird hats. She swallowed, but they didn't seem to notice her. She looked forward again, seeing that...it was beautiful.

She let out a breath, pushing off the wall to walk forward more, standing back in the center of the room, looking out at the world beyond. She could see the sky, a...burnt orange sky...with two suns, the grass in the distance was red, the mountains with white snow, the leaves on the trees were silver...it was just breathtaking.

She looked over as she noticed something else, something...odd. There was a round object, like a circle, like a hoop, set up before her, something...something swirling within it. She stepped closer, till she was right before it...and looked into it...

She frowned and tilted her head, it was...weird, the swirling inside it...it was almost like there was a pattern to it...but then she flinched, backing away, a terrible pain shooting through her head as she stumbled to the door, her hand landing on the knob. She took a breath, opening the door and peeking out to see whatever it was that had followed her was nowhere to be seen. Which didn't really matter though as she stepped into the hall, she'd take the thing out there over that swirly thing any day, there was just...something...strange about it...

~8~

"Your crew," Evy glanced at Tricky when, a few moments later, she got a beep on her sonic, "They're not very honorable, are they?"

"What do you mean?" Tricky frowned, not sure if she was just asking or if she was being insulting.

She held up her sonic, "It appears Gregor is snooping in places he doesn't belong," she looked at the Doctor, "He's found the ARS."

The Doctor's eyes widened and he dashed off down the hall, Evy and LJ after him, Tricky rushing to catch up.

~8~

Gregor slowly entered a room to see what looked like a metal tree in front of him, wires hanging from it with white, glowing crystals dangling from the ends like oval baubles. He held up his scanner at it, "Everything," it assessed what it was.

"I don't understand," he looked at the device, "Give me a price tag."

"Incalculable."

"What?"

"More valuable than the total sum of any currency. Living metal. Bespoke engineering. Whatever machine you require, this system will build it."

Gregor slipped the scanner away and walked up to one of the dangling orbs. He touched it and it went dark. He grinned and picked up a laser cutter, trying to hack through the wire when the Time Lords ran in behind him.

"No!" the Doctor shouted as the man lowered the laser, "No, no. Stop! Please! _Don't_! Don't touch it. _Please_."

"She won't let you touch it," Evy warned the man, reaching out to touch a crystal as LJ tried to tickle it, making it blink on again, "The TARDIS will throw a _massive_ tantrum if you try to take it from her."

"What the hell _is_ this place?" Gregor breathed.

"Architectural Reconfiguration System," the Doctor answered, "It reconstructs particles according to your needs."

"A machine that makes machines?"

"Yes. Basically."

Gregor grinned and picked up his laser cutter once more, only for Tricky to try and stop him as well with a cry of, "What are you doing?!"

"That won't end well for you," Evy told him.

"No, no, don't!" the Doctor shouted, "Don't! If you walk out of here with that circuit, the TARDIS will try to stop you! Now listen to me. Look, the clock is ticking. We must find Clara!" he held out his hand for the laser cutter…

But Gregor just pulled the crystal off the tendril instead of cutting the branch, which made the others go dark instantly for a moment before flickering back on. Evy pressed her hands to LJ's ears, flinching herself, as a high-pitched noise echoed through the room, the Doctor and Tricky covering their ears as Gregor winced but slipped the crystal into his pack, turning for the doors…

Only to see they were gone.

"What the..." Tricky breathed as the noise quieted, walking over to where the door had been, "Where's the door gone?"

"We tried to warn you," Evy sighed, running her hand through LJ's hair to comfort him.

"Ever see a spaceship get ugly?" the Doctor asked.

"This isn't happening," Tricky turned around, trying to find another door, another way out.

"The TARDIS is like a mother, and that," Evy nodded at the crystal she could see peeking out of Gregor's pack, "Is like her egg. She will fight you tooth and nail for it and she will _never_ let you take it from her," she absently wrapped her arm around her front where LJ was, the Doctor smiling and moving behind her to wrap his arms around her waist.

"Torch it," Gregor threw a device at Tricky, who hesitated, "I said torch it!"

"Can't you feel it, Gregor?" Tricky asked quietly, "The ship's in torment, like it's a living thing. You can't hurt it."

Gregor simply snatched the device back and moved to the wall, about to flick it on…when the doors appeared and opened, "What's the matter, TARDIS? Scared to fight me?"

He strode out of the room, Tricky following a moment later, as the Time Lords looked at each other, "I think we're going to be getting an earful later, don't you?" Evy wondered.

The Doctor winced, "Best hope he gives that back, maybe she'll be less cross?"

LJ just laughed at that thought, his parents were so silly.

~8~

Clara slid into another room, having been chased down a hall by a creature, a terrible creature that looked like it had burnt to death and yet was still living. She spun around and stopped short, seeing the massive, MASSIVE library before her, "Now that's just showing off," she muttered to the box before slowly entering.

She paused, seeing a series of glass vials on the shelf of one bookcase. She squinted, seeing 'Encyclopedia Gallifreya' as the label for them. She frowned, about to touch one before shaking her head and stepping back best not to at the moment. If that stuff smelled she did NOT want the other creature to be able to smell her.

She turned around, looking at the library, thinking she should probably find a few places to hide incase the creature found her and headed off...but she'd only made it a few steps before something caught her eye. There, a few feet away, on a pedestal with a light over it, was a rather large, rather important looking book.

She tilted her head and made her way over to it, squinting as she tried to make out the title, finally able to read it when she'd reached it, 'The History of the Time War _.'_ She frowned at that and opened it, sifting through a few pages, skimming some of the details, feeling more and more alarmed and devastated as she went...till she stopped...

There, open on two pages was an image, a face portrait of the Doctor on one side, a few smaller images of other men surrounding him like a border, one man had what looked like the beginnings of a scarf, another with a stick of celery on his lapel, one with black, square brainy specks on and hair that stuck up...quite a bit like LJ's hair. And on the next page was Evy, small women around her as well.

What really got her though...was that, just below their heads, their main heads, the faces she recognized...were names, real actual names.

"So that's who you are…" she mumbled...before she gasped and spun around, hearing the door slam open and dashed to the side, hiding behind a bookshelf. She held her breath, hearing the familiar growling of the creature as it entered. She peeked around, waiting till it had moved into another bookshelf aisle, before getting up and dashing off, out of the room and into the hall, needing to get as far away from the monster as possible.

~8~

The Doctor was in the lead again, his sonic out, Evy bringing up the rear with LJ, the two men between them…only to step through a corridor and end up at an intersection they had just passed. Again.

"It's the same," Tricky muttered, "It's just the same."

"It's diverting us," the Doctor nodded, "Spinning a maze around us. We will never reach Clara in ti…ow!" the Doctor winced, "That one really hurt!" he looked at Evy for her smack.

"Don't worry your son," she pointed at him till he nodded.

Gregor just pushed past them through a right corridor, the group following him, only to enter the intersection from the left again.

"It's just the same, again," Tricky frowned.

"Well what did you expect?" Evy shook her head, "She puts up a wall, you threaten to blow through it, so she's given you halls…just a maze of halls."

"She's rather like my lovely Link," the Doctor nodded, "You give her a problem, you give her a plan, she has backup. It's found other ways of controlling you. Smart bunch, Time Lords. No dress sense, dreadful hats, but _smart_."

"You _ever_ want to get out of here, you need to give the circuit back.

"Bram?" Tricky called into the comm., worried the man might be trapped too, "Bram? Can you hear me? Bram, the ship is alive. Get out of there. Bram, don't touch anything. Bram? You've got to get out of there fast…" he trailed off, hearing Bram screaming, making the Time Lords stiffen at the noise and cover LJ's ears, fearing what might have happened to him, before the call cut out, "Channel's dead. We've got to help him. Gregor, do something. Do something!"

The Doctor quickly began flashing the halls with his sonic, backing up to Evy's side as she remained with the men.

"It's too late," Gregor just shook his head, "He's gone! Let's just worry about the salvage!"

"You care more about the circuit than you do about him!" Gregor shoved him.

Evy quickly turned, seeing them fighting and shoved her way between them "You're both grown men and you're acting like children!" she shouted, getting them to stop, "It's _so_ touching how much you care about your brother," Evy remarked to Gregor, "But if you two could shut up for a moment it would help, it really would help, for you to be quiet…there is something else down there."

The men quieted, now able to hear a small growling noise coming from around them.

"We've got to get out of here!" Tricky gasped, "Gregor, give it back. Give it back to her!" he grabbed for the pack.

"What are you doing?" he pushed Tricky back, into the wall, "You're always on the side of the machines!"

"Fellas!" the Doctor called, "Multiple life forms onboard the TARDIS with us," he backed up to them even more, coming to stand just a bit before Evy, "I am getting a massive signal," he whispered to her.

"From where?" she asked, tensing, LJ falling quiet.

"Oh, you're not going to like the answer…"

"Which means LJ will probably LOVE it."

He smiled at that, "About two steps away," he moved before her.

_Daddy move!_ LJ grumbled, _I want to see. I want to see!_

"One step…" they turned and screamed, seeing a creature in the darkness behind them, what looked like two charred creatures fused together at the shoulders. It growled and swiped at them.

"Gregor, look out!" the Doctor warned, "Careful! Gregor!" but the man just turned and fled down a hall.

"Gregor!" Evy shouted, "We need to stay together!"

"Come on," the Doctor grabbed her hand, "Tricky, run!" he urged the man on, rushing off after him, LJ grumbling the entire time about how he wanted to see the monsters.

"Wanting a closer look at the things trying to kill us...your son!" Evy whacked the Doctor on the back of the head as they ran, "Completely yours!"

He winced at that but took her hand, the two of them running faster than ever, hoping they could make it far enough away where the creature wouldn't find them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the scenes with Clara in the TARDIS don't really involve the Doctor or Evy, but they sort of did in a way, the Hologram room was something Evy created (I wanted her to see a different room of the TARDIS, not just the mementos the Doctor kept in that one room, but an actual almost living memento of the hologram :)) and the book blurb was about them :)
> 
> I'm especially excited because we'll be getting J and Jenny and Jack soon...wow, that is A LOT of J names :) Gotta love LJ though, wanting to see the creatures trying to kill them, SO the Doctor's child :)
> 
> Next chapter...turns out LJ really IS scared of something on the TARDIS :( Evy gets parental and uses her 'mom voice.' And what's this? Clara wants to leave the TARDIS?!


	23. Journey to the Center of the TARDIS (Part 2)

The trio of Time Lords turned a corner with Tricky, only for them all to stop short, seeing they had entered the console room and let out a breath of relief.

"What the hell happened?!" Evy shouted, momentarily letting her own potty mouth out as she strode up to the console to see it partially torn apart, clearly someone had been trying to tear it down.

Bram!

Oh the nerve!

"Back where we started…" Tricky mumbled.

"No," the Doctor looked around and moved to join Evy, "It's an echo."

"The TARDIS is trying to protect us" Evy explained, "So she's brought us to the safest area, the console room."

"Because I tried to give back the circuit?" Tricky wondered.

"Team TARDIS," the Doctor laughed, holding up a hand to LJ as the boy high-fived him. He patted LJ on the head and moved to help Evy, accidentally knocking off a piece of debris…the three of them staring as it fell and _disappeared_.

~8~

Clara gasped, sitting in the console room that she'd stumbled upon and then the TARDIS trapped her in, when a piece of debris fell off the console and landed on the floor.

~8~

"Where did...where did that go?" Tricky gasped.

Evy pulled out her sonic and scanned around, trying to keep the device from LJ as he made grabs for it, "There's more than one console room! Of course, she's created echoes of it. Clara must be here!"

The Doctor pointed at a shadow that didn't belong to either of them as it moved, "Hey, look, look!"

~8~

Clara slowly walked around the console, tense, trying to see what might have knocked the thing to the floor.

~8~

"Clara!" LJ cheered.

"The TARDIS has got Clara safe," the Doctor nodded, "That was her. That was her there!" he laughed as LJ kissed his hands and blew them out at the rotor, thanking the box for protecting Clara despite not liking her.

"Well done Sexy," Evy laughed, patting the rotor too.

"Why can't we see her?" Tricky frowned.

"It's like a light switch," the Doctor explained, "Two positions. Flickering at super-infinite speeds. We're only together for a brief second."

~8~

Clara backed up, starting to get a little afraid...

~8~

LJ frowned at his daddy talking, "Shh!" he hissed to his father, making the man smile as they tried to listen for Clara as well.

~8~

Clara gasped, feeling like she wasn't alone any longer.

~8~

"We can hear her," Evy murmured as they walked around the console.

~8~

Clara backed away, heading for the stairs, wanting to leave.

~8~

"Clara!" LJ shouted, sounding like he was trying to call out so she could hear them too.

~8~

Clara raced to the entrance to the halls, only to jump back, seeing a creature there, like a human figure with no face, covered in ash. She screamed and ran back to the console.

~8~

"Clara!" LJ shouted again as they heard a scream.

"She's let one in!" Evy realized.

"She's let it in!" the Doctor ran to the controls, Evy helping.

~8~

Clara backed up to the other side of the console, ducking this way and that to keep the creature from grabbing her.

~8~

"Ah...if we can just isolate her position," the Doctor struggled with a control, "We can nudge the alternation...reach in and grab her!"

~8~

"Who are you?" Clara gasped as the creature seemed to mimic her movements.

~8~

"Console room, echo imprint of the original," they heard an electronic voice say and looked back to see Gregor standing in the doorway with his scanner in hand.

"You're coming with me," Gregor pointed at them, "I need you to get me out of here!"

Evy just ran over and tried to grab the scanner from him, only for LJ to beat her to it, he was a very grabby baby wasn't he? But she smiled when her boy held it up to her for her to sonic it, her little helper too apparently. She laughed, at least he was wise enough to realize SHE was the better one to try and sonic something if not trying to break it, then the Doctor was first in line.

"Thanks dear," she kissed the top of his head as he hung off her, sonicing the scanner.

"Scanning for female human…" the scanner began.

~8~

Clara ran back as the creature charged at her, pressing herself to where the doors would be.

~8~

"Come on, come on," Evy muttered, scanning faster as she ran around the console.

"Scanning for female human…"

~8~

Clara panted as the creature slowly approached her, steam rising from its hand.

~8~

"Unidentified human," the scanner stated.

"It doesn't know Lancashire," she read what the 'unidentifiable' components were.

"What?" Tricky frowned.

"It doesn't know sass."

"Clara!" LJ cheered.

"Yes!" she laughed, "That's Clara. She is right…there!" she pointed to the doors.

The Doctor ran over and flashed his sonic at the doors, a faint image of Clara appearing.

~8~

Clara screamed as the creature lunged at her…

~8~

…when the Doctor reached out and pulled her to the present. She screamed as he held her, only to pull away and spin around, gasping, panting.

"It's alright," Evy called, rushing over.

"Clara," the Doctor began, "We're so, so sorry. Please, please forgive us..."

Clara just punched him in the shoulder.

"Ow!" he rubbed it, "Ok, so we're not doing hugging, I get that now."

"Not hugging you!" she pointed at him, before spinning to Evy, who looked confused as to why she wanted to hug HER…but Clara just pulled LJ out of the papoose, the little boy clinging to her as he hugged her, "There, there," she patted his back, hugging him a bit as his parents watched her, "You two ought to be ashamed of yourselves," she pointed at them, "He must have been terrified!"

"Of you getting hurt," Evy smiled, seeing LJ tugging on Clara's hair.

Clara blinked, "Really?"

She had been thinking that the boy had been afraid of the things out there, they HAD to have come across them. And...she got the distinct feeling that the boy had been yelling only moments ago.

The Doctor nodded, putting his arm around Evy's shoulders, "He kept shouting for you."

Clara smiled, touched to know the boy had been as worried about her as his parents were, "Well then my little guy deserves something else then, doesn't he?" she tapped the baby's nose and kissed his cheek, "Thanks."

And LJ...instead of squirming or wiping it...just clapped.

' _He's adorable with his first crush,_ ' Evy remarked to the Doctor.

' _He's going to be a charmer isn't he?_ ' the Doctor agreed, tweaking his bow-tie, ' _Like his dear old dad._ '

Evy snorted at that.

' _Oi!_ '

Clara took a breath and looked at the duo, "What do you keep in here?" she asked them, before glancing at LJ and covering his ears, "Why have you got zombie creatures? Good guys do not have zombie creatures," before uncovering them, "Rule one," she punched the Doctor in the shoulder again, "Basic storytelling."

"Not in front of the guests," the Doctor rubbed his shoulder, nodding at Tricky and Gregor, "It's bad enough when I get whacked!"

Clara glanced over at Tricky and waved a bit, "Who are they?"

"Friends."

Evy snorted, "More like people who aren't trying to kill us at the moment."

"So I don't need punching again!" the Doctor pointed at Clara.

Clara just rolled her eyes and went to sit on the seat she'd been on before, LJ on her lap.

"Alright, alright," Gregor cut in, "A deal's a deal. You got the girl back. Now cancel the self-destruct."

"Ah," the Doctor laughed, "Ah. You know," he clapped a hand on Gregor's shoulder, "I've got to tell you, we won't be needing you in our quiz team."

"What?"

"There is no self-destruct," Evy stated.

The Doctor joke-punched at Gregor, "Hey! Hey! Hey! Had you going though boys, didn't we?" he noggied Gregor's head, "We just wiggled a few buttons. The old wiggly-button trick. And the face. You've got to do the face. 'Save her or we all die.' I thought I rushed it a bit, but..."

Evy just walked over and put a hand on his mouth, "Rambling again dear…ew!" she pulled her hand away as he licked it. She whacked him on the head and pointed warningly at him with one hand, wiping her other off on her pants.

"So you're telling us we're safe?" Tricky asked.

"Almost," Evy sighed, "There's those creatures and the TARDIS throwing a fit, trying to trap us, but yes, relatively."

"Guys, don't worry," the Doctor added, seeing they didn't seem like they believed him, "The countdown's a fake. Look, just give me just a second. I'll turn it off," he moved to the console and flicked the switches, "We only made it _look_ as though the engine was actually exploding…"

And then an alarm went off.

Evy rubbed her face, "You need to STOP talking dear."

"Ah…" he looked at the monitor to see it read 'Engine Overload,' "That's not good. Ok, don't panic, or maybe panic."

"Something you want to share with the rest of us?" Clara stepped over, LJ babbling in her arms, trying to explain to her what was happening, though she couldn't understand Baby, he tended to slip back into that when he was VERY excited.

"The crash damaged the engines," Evy sighed, taking LJ and fixing him back in her papoose, assuming there would be running to come, "Which is bad, very bad, and must be fixed quickly or we really will all die."

"Oi!" the Doctor pointed at her, "How come it's ok for YOU to say that around LJ and not me?"

"Because I'm his mum."

"And I'm his dad."

"And I'M his MUM."

"Mum's are always right," Clara cut in, seeing the Doctor about to argue, "Just go with it," he sighed but nodded, so she looked at Evy, "Now would be a good time to use that big friendly button, right?"

The Doctor just ran over to a panel in the wall, "Yeah, sorry, I should have had one built in," and flashed it with the sonic.

"Where are we going?" Tricky asked as he, Gregor, and Clara joined him.

"Detour," he knelt down, peering into the panel, "The center of the TARDIS."

"Hear that dear," she tickled LJ as he clapped.

~8~

The Doctor led them down a green-lit corridor, his sonic buzzing, Evy behind him with LJ, Clara behind them, with Gregor and Tricky following her.

Clara stopped with a gasp when she saw a shadow pass the corridor before them, "Shush! Something's in here."

"Those...things," Tricky tensed, "They've followed us."

"Doctor, what are they? What aren't you telling me?"

The Doctor looked at Evy who shook her head subtly, "Trust me. Some things you don't want to know."

Evy glanced back to see one of the creatures pass behind them.

"They're on the move again!" Gregor saw it as well.

The Doctor grabbed Evy's hand, "Run! Move, move!" and pulled her down the hall.

_But I want to see the thingies!_ LJ called

' _Your son!_ ' Evy shouted at the Doctor as they ran around a corner…only to realize Clara wasn't there…

~8~

Clara dashed into a corridor and stopped, realizing she'd lost the others, "Doctor?" she moved back the way she'd come, "Evy? Again!"

She turned around, reaching an intersection and stopped, spinning, trying to figure out which way to go. She winced and looked at her hand, slightly burned from when she'd grabbed that thing before, blowing on it as she was able to see faint letters appearing on it.

"I know what I said," she heard herself saying as she looked over to see herself and the Doctor walking past a corridor end, Evy and LJ with them, " _I_ was the one who said it."

"You said it was looking at you funny," the Doctor was saying.

Clara ran after them, only to hear, "Now you're creeping me out," behind her.

She turned, seeing herself standing there.

"Please tell me there's a button you can press to fix this?!"

She backed away, moving down another corridor, only to gasp, seeing the Doctor standing there with Evy, looking at her as they spoke quietly to LJ between them, both looking serious.

"Oh, thank God," she breathed, "Doctor, what's going on?" she frowned when they didn't respond, "Say something Evy," she waved her hand in front of them, but nothing. She moved to touch LJ's little hand when…

"Clara, stop!" the Doctor shouted as he and Evy with LJ appeared behind her, "Don't touch it," he pointed at the other thems.

"The TARDIS is starting to break down," Evy explained, "Somewhere reality is leaking through a tear."

"It must have happened when the TARDIS was pulled in by the salvage vessel," he took her hand and pulled her off.

"Reality's leaking?" Clara shook her head, "Leaking what? Time energy?"

"Past!" LJ told her.

"The past," Evy called back, "You and us. Everything that's happened in the TARDIS."

"Yes, everything we've done, everything we've said," the Doctor nodded, "Recent history. It's not real, it's a memory."

They stopped short when one of the creatures appeared in front of them, quite petite looking.

"What about this?" Clara whispered.

"If you're giving me the option, I'd say, 'This one's real,'" he whispered back.

_Awesome!_ LJ cheered, _Mummy can I have_ …

"Run!" Evy turned and shoved them off, the creature chasing them.

"She's right onto us!" the Doctor yelled.

Clara stopped, " _She?!_ "

But Evy pushed her on, "Not right now!"

They ran around the corner, to a small niche, and ducked into it, waiting behind a girder as the creature ran past, stopping just by them, trying to find them.

"You're like one of those guys who can't go out with a girl unless his mother approves," Clara huffed from the distance, another past her walking by.

"It's important to us you get along..." the other Doctor muttered.

The creature ran off, following the other thems instead. They cautiously stepped out of their hiding spot, only to hear a groaning noise around them, the Time Lords looking up at it.

"What's that noise?" Clara asked.

"We're right under the primary fuel cells," the Doctor realized.

"So? So? So what?"

"Bad!" LJ told her.

"The fuel has spilled out Clara," Evy explained, knowing neither her son nor Link would be much use, "The rods will be exposed and that means they'll cool and…"

"And start to warp," Clara realized.

"And start to warp," the Doctor agreed, "Maybe even..."

"Don't!" Evy warned, pointing at him, "Don't say..."

"Maybe even break apart."

And then a large rod shot out of the wall in front of them, making them jump back.

"Run?" Clara asked them.

"Run!" LJ agreed.

"I'm liking how you're thinking," the Doctor nodded.

"Just go!" Evy pushed him on, the three of them running down a corridor, trying to avoid the rods shooting out above them, before them, behind them, till they heard a shout, Tricky shouting in pain.

"Cut it off!" Tricky was shouting, and they knew he must have gotten hit by a rod, "Just cut my arm off."

"No!" Gregor strained, probably trying to pull the rod out of him.

"It's the quickest way to release me. No fear, no hate, no pain. I can get a new one. Disposable parts, just do it. It won't hurt me."

"Tricky, you don't understand…"

"I'm an android. Cut me!"

"You made it through!" Clara called as they ran around a corner to see that Tricky really _had_ been impaled in the shoulder by a rod. Evy quickly covering, LJ's eyes to avoid him seeing that though the boy squirmed and tried to pull her hands away.

"What's the matter with you?" Tricky looked at the hesitating Gregor, "Why won't you cut me?"

Evy rolled her eyes and marched over to Gregor, "You. Tell him. The truth. Now."

The Doctor and LJ winced, it was always bad when her 'mom voice' came out, when she used 'that tone' on other people.

"Tell me what?" Tricky frowned.

But Gregor was silent.

"You can't, can you?" the Doctor's eyes narrowed at the man, "You're a coward. You won't save him, but you're scared to tell him why."

"What's he going on about?"

"Robots don't need blast suits," Evy explained, "Or respirators or get afraid of monsters."

"What're they talking about?" Tricky turned to Gregor, alarmed.

"I scanned you before," Evy continued, "Two bionic eyes and a synthetic voice box, but you're human nonetheless."

"It was a joke," Gregor said quietly.

"Wha..." Tricky stared at him.

"It was just a stupid joke. We did it to relieve the boredom."

"Well, it was very funny," the Doctor deadpanned, "They lied to you. Changed your identity. Just to provide some in-flight entertainment!"

"I'm sorry. You're human, Tricky."

"Cut the metal," the Doctor pointed at the rod, "Cut the metal!" he pointed at Gregor's laser cutter, "Go!"

Gregor quickly got to work cutting the rod.

~8~

Evy was in the lead this time, her sonic whirring as she led the way with the Doctor, Clara helping a staggering Tricky along as Gregor kept an eye out for the creatures till they reached a door with a round window in it.

"Where are we?" Clara frowned, hearing a strange noise through the door, seeing a glow.

"Power source," the Doctor replied quickly, "Right, you lot, wait here," he turned and kissed Evy's head, tapping LJ on the nose, "I'll check it's safe. We can only survive for a minute or two in there."

"Oi!" Evy pulled him back, kissing him again, "Be careful."

He winked and moved to the door again.

"What happens if we stay longer?" Clara asked Evy as the Doctor soniced the lock.

"Our cells will liquefy and our skin will start to burn," she replied.

"I always feel _so good_ after we've spoken," Clara fidgeted.

Evy smiled, "Here, this might help," and handed LJ over to her, the girl smiling instantly as soon as LJ was in her arms.

There was just something about that baby that she loved. Despite him being a baby, she felt…safe…with him in her arms, like she knew she'd be protected. It wasn't just that women holding babies were usually the least attacked, but because the Time Lords would protect him too.

"Marvelous," the Doctor grinned, getting the door unlocked, he glanced at Evy, "Keep this door shut," and opened it, stepping through, Evy moving to watch him through the glass.

~8~

The Doctor winced at the heat that hit him, the brightness of the room, taking a few breaths to acclimatize himself before dashing off down a catwalk.

~8~

"Lancashire," the scanner said as Evy looked back to see it scanning Clara, adjusted from when she'd soniced it, "Sass."

"Intelligent sensor," Gregor smiled.

"Ever pointed that thing at yourself, Gregor?" Tricky snapped at him, angry about the joke, "What would it see? What sort of person _does_ this to another human? Made them believe they're made of metal!" he turned and grabbed Gregor by the arm, spinning him around, "Who am I?"

"Quite dim if you can't see the family resemblance," Evy muttered, quietly enough where only Clara heard, LJ giggling. His mummy wasn't often rude to other people, but when she was worried about his daddy things flew out the window.

Gregor ripped the 'Van Baalen Bros' patch off his shoulder and handed it to Tricky.

~8~

The Doctor made it to the other door at the end of the catwalk, scanning it with the sonic to unlock it, peering through and looking up.

~8~

"My mouthy little kid brother," Gregor replied.

Tricky turned around to face him, "Why...why can't I remember?"

"Salvage accident. There was a big explosion. You lost your sight, voice, and your memory."

"And you...you thought of a way you could have some fun with me?" he strode over to him, "I just wanted a brother beside me."

"You were always the smart one, Tricky. He wanted you to take over. He made you captain."

"He?"

"Dad."

"I don't...remember him."

Evy closed her eyes, she wouldn't _ever_ let LJ experience that, they would ALWAYS be there for him, _always_.

~8~

The Doctor sighed and shut the door, turning to run back across the catwalk.

~8~

"You did this to me, just to be captain of a heap of _junk_?!" Tricky glared, charging that his brother when Evy got in the way and shoved them apart.

"If you children could please behave for a moment?" she huffed, "Tricky," she looked at him, "Your bother is a ponce, I agree, won't hear any arguments," she began as Gregor 'oi'ed, "But he couldn't cut you, remember? That means he didn't want to hurt you, not really, he's still got a _tiny_ trickle of decency in him, wilting and dying and sick though it may be. YOU brought it out in him. And Gregor," she looked at him, "Just shut up."

She turned around, hearing someone clapping to see the Doctor was, having returned, LJ clapping beside him as well.

She smiled and walked over, kissing LJ's head, "Not quite an epic speech was it?"

The Doctor just kissed her, "It was a mother speech," and again, "Love those even more."

"Is it ok?" she nodded at the door.

He nodded, opening it, "Ok, move, move, move," he ushered the others through, the humans stopping to look up as the Doctor led them along the railing of the catwalk.

"It's called the Eye of Harmony," Evy called to the humans above the noise as they looked up to see a rather large star burning right above them in the darkness, "It's a supernova halfway to becoming a black hole. We take it out of time and space and put it in a state of suspend animation. Creates unlimited, infinite, energy."

"This way!" the Doctor called, rushing on, "Quickly!"

Tricky and Gregor followed after the Doctor, Gregor helping Tricky along as Clara just...stared up at the Eye with a small frown on her face. Evy turned, seeing Clara staring and went to grab her hand, tugging her on, knowing that seeing something like that so close could be jarring.

"It's..." Clara began, shaking her head as she stared at the star.

"I know," Evy reassured her, pulling her along.

The Doctor opened the door on the other side, only to see a creature waiting there, looking like its hand was fused to its forehead. Gregor leapt forward and helped him slam it shut, the Doctor sonic-locking the door as they ran to the other side.

Gregor opened that door, but a creature was there as well, "There's no way out!" he called, shutting the door too, "We're trapped."

The Doctor ran towards the first door again, when Clara grabbed his arm, "You're going to tell me now! If we're going to die in here, tell me what they are."

"We can't," the Doctor insisted.

"Tell me! What's the use in secrets now?"

"Secrets protect us Clara," Evy told her, "Secrets make us safe."

Their entire lives were secrets, their existence, the safety of their child depended on secrets. If the Universe discovered they were still alive...it would just spark the Silence and Kovarian (if she survived the aborted timeline) to seek them out again. They couldn't risk that.

"We're not safe!" she shouted, "None of us, not even LJ!"

"Sensor detects animal DNA," Gregor's scanner began as he aimed it at the creature behind the door they'd entered through, "Human core element. Calculating data. Calculating data…"

The Doctor ran over, "No, no. Turn it off!"

"Lancashire. Sass. Identifiable substance. Clara."

Evy closed her eyes, cuddling LJ closer as the boy frowned at that, the Doctor turning around to look at Clara. Gregor and Tricky exchanged a look before running to the other door, scanning that creature as well.

"That's me…" Clara took a few steps towards the door.

"I'm so sorry," the Doctor breathed.

Clara peered at her charred, no _burned_ , self through the window, "It's me. I burn in here."

"It's not just the past that's leaking Clara," Evy came to her side, taking her hand, "It's the future too."

LJ looked at her solemnly, a small frown on his face, not wanting to think about that, to think about who the creature was and what must have happened. It wouldn't, he knew it wouldn't. His parents would find a way to stop it.

The Doctor rubbed his head, "We brought you here to keep you safe, but it happened again. You died again."

"What do you mean, _again_?" Clara spun around to face him.

The Doctor winced, and not from a smack this time, and ran a hand over his face and hair, pausing when he rested it on his forehead, thinking about the creature, the one through the door ahead of them, with its hand fused to its forehead. He looked at Tricky and Gregor, both side-by-side at the door, trying to keep it shut as the creature broke through the lock, remembering the creature from the halls, the two that were fused at the side.

"Hang on!" he realized, "As long as we interrupt the timeline, this can't happen!" he spun to Evy grinning before rushing over to the brothers, shoving them apart, "Don't touch each other, otherwise the future will reassert itself," and pushing them to the middle of the catwalk as the creature broke through.

One of them grabbed Gregor's pack, pulling him back, but he turned to grab hold of it, it had the circuit in it!

"Gregor!" Evy yelled, "Let _go_ of the circuit!"

"Just let it go!" Tricky agreed.

"Gregor!" the Doctor called.

"Gregor!"

Gregor hesitated before slipping out of the pack and rushing back to them as Trick whacked at the creature, sending it falling over the side of the railing. They ran for the open door, but the fused creature appeared, the two struggling members making their way towards them. They tried the other door but the Clara-creature punched through the window, forcing them to the middle of the walk.

"Ok…" the Doctor looked around, "Er...er..."

Tricky ran at the creature with a crowbar, bashing it down and kicking it off the side…only for it to grab him as it fell and nearly pull him down had he not grabbed onto the ledge.

Gregor ran for him, "Tricky!"

The Doctor, Clara, Evy and LJ ran past to the open door, looking back as they saw Gregor helping him up.

"Don't touch him, or time will reassert itself," the Doctor warned.

But it was too late, Gregor helped Tricky up, the two far too close to each other and fused together, transforming, before their eyes, into the creature and lunging at them.

Evy pulled the Doctor back as they ran out the door, shutting it behind them, panting.

_That. Was. AWESOME!_ LJ cheered, laughing.

All three of them looked down at the giggling and clapping baby and shook their heads.

"Your son," Evy huffed, "I give up."

The Doctor just laughed and kissed Evy quickly, before taking her hand and pulling her down the hall. He was fairly certain it was just that LJ was so young, so excitable, that made him seem so much more like HIM than Evy, when the boy grew older, he was sure more of Evy's traits would come out in him. And if not...that would be a marvelous excuse for a second child.

He winced as Evy mentally whacked him, ' _Let's wait till our one child actually reaches that age before we think about more children._ '

She was open to the idea, of course she was, she loved LJ more than anything and she'd love to have their family expand, but LJ really WAS quite the handful. She wanted to make sure he'd be ok, that he'd be able to grow up normally...as normally as a Time Baby who lived in a wooden spaceship could...and that he'd be safe before she thought of other children. She didn't want to reach a point where there were too many children and one got hurt because of that. One at a time, spaced far enough apart where the child before could be responsible enough and handle themselves should anything happen would be fantastic.

But for now, she just wanted to spend time with her boy.

"The engine room," he grinned, reaching a door, "The heart of the TARDIS."

They rushed in, and stopped short as they nearly fell over the side of a large cliff, looking like a waterfall of some sort, a river below though lost in the mist.

"We're outside!" Clara stared.

"No, no," Evy sighed, "We're still in the TARDIS."

"There's no way across."

"No," the Doctor peeked over the ledge, "Ok, you're right."

"So what do we do? Time for a plan."

"Jump!" LJ called.

"Brilliant backup plan," Clara joked, before looking at the Time Lords, "Do you have a plan?"

"Well, no," the Doctor shook his head, "No plan, sorry."

"Jump!" LJ repeated.

Clara turned to Evy, "Another backup plan then?"

"Not at the mo," she remarked.

"Jump!" LJ insisted, but they ignored him.

"If you don't have a plan, we're dead!" Clara shouted.

"Yes, we are," the Doctor realized and looked at Clara, "So just tell us."

"Tell you what?" she shook her head.

"Doctor…" Evy began.

He looked at her, "There's no point now," he argued, "We're about to die," before turning to Clara, "So just tell us who you are."

"You know who I am," Clara frowned.

"Clara!" LJ called.

"No," the Doctor shook his head, "We _don't_! We look at you every single day, and we don't understand a thing about you."

"Doctor," Evy put a hand on his arm to quiet him before sighing and looking at Clara, "He wants to know why we keep running into you."

"You invited me," Clara reminded them, "You said..."

"Before that!" the Doctor cut in, "We met you in the Dalek Asylum. There was a girl in a shipwreck, and she died saving our lives, saving LJ's life which we are _eternally_ grateful for. And she was you."

"She really wasn't."

"Victorian London," Evy continued, "We met a governess, a former barmaid, she helped us fight the Great Intelligence, but she died. Because of us. And…she was YOU Clara."

"You're scaring me…" Clara backed away.

"What are you, eh?" the Doctor asked her, stepping closer, "Are you a trick, a trap?"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" she gasped, nearly falling over the ledge, but the Doctor reached out and grabbed her, pulling her back in, right into a hug.

"Alright," he whispered, "Alright."

Evy smiled at Clara as he pulled away, "You really don't, do you?"

"I think I'm more scared of you," she looked at the Doctor, "Right now than anything else on that TARDIS."

"You're just Clara, aren't you?" the Doctor started to smile too.

"Clara!" LJ clapped, which made her smile.

The Doctor laughed and poked Clara in the face, pushing her nose, pinching her cheeks, "Stop that," Clara slapped his hand away.

"Clara!" LJ called again, reaching for her. Evy laughed and pulled him out of the papoose, handing him over to her as Clara hugged him.

"I don't know what the hell that was about," she whispered to the Time Lords so that LJ wouldn't hear her cursing, "But this hug," she smiled and closed her eyes, squeezing the baby, "It's _really_ nice."

"He's got magic hugs," Evy smirked, "Just like his daddy."

The Doctor tweaked his bow-tie at that, "We're not going to die here," he nodded, "This isn't real! It's a snarl," he picked up a rock and tossed it over the edge.

"What?" Clara looked over, handing LJ back to Evy, helping the woman put the baby in the papoose.

"What does a wounded animal do? It tries to scare everyone away."

Evy nodded, as though it made sense, and explained to Clara, "We're close to the engine and the TARDIS doesn't want anyone poking around in it so she's trying to scare us off."

"We need to…"

"Jump!" LJ repeated again with a huff.

The Doctor laughed, he'd been saying it that whole time, "Right boyo."

"You're insane," Clara told him.

"I actually, legally, am," Evy shrugged, before blinking, "That's _so_ weird," she looked at the Doctor, "Everyone calls _you_ the madman with the box but _I_ was the one in the madhouse."

"What?!" Clara gaped at her.

But the Time Lords didn't seem to notice as the Doctor just nodded, "We'll cross a portal to the engine," he clapped his hands and took theirs leading them both back to the door.

"How can you be so sure?" Clara wondered as the Doctor stood between them.

"Well, I can't."

"Ok, well, that's watertight."

The Doctor just wagged a finger at her, "Hey, now, Clara, I've piloted this ship for over 900 years. Trust me this one time, please," she raised an eyebrow at him, "Ok. Ok. As well as all the other times, and that's _really_ creepy by the way," he remarked, pointing between her and Evy, "You've got the same eyebrow of doom thing…"

"Eyebrow of doom?" Evy raised her eyebrow at how he was STILL calling it that.

"There it is " he pointed, "You see!" and between them, but they just crossed their arms at him. He sighed, taking their hands again, "Ready?"

"Deronmo!" LJ cheered.

"Geronimo!" his parents agreed as they ran for the edge and jumped…

~8~

…and stumbled into a completely stark white room, with various bits of debris and machinery suspended in the air above them. The Time Lords frowned sadly at it as they led Clara through, even LJ unnaturally silent.

"The heart of the TARDIS," the Doctor sighed, "The engine, it's already exploded. It must have been the collision with the salvage ship."

"We're not dead," Clara remarked.

"The TARDIS stopped it," Evy smiled, "She just…froze it, kept it from happening for a moment or two."

"So...so it's safe?" she frowned, she couldn't shake the feeling like this was really, VERY bad.

"For now. But it won't last. Eventually, this whole place will just erupt."

"There's no way we can save her now," the Doctor murmured, looking at them, "She's just always been there for me, taken care of me, like you," he smiled at Evy, "And now it's my turn and I don't know what to do. It...it just..."

"We'll figure something out," Evy promised, "You and me and these," she pointed at her head.

"Me!" LJ added, tugging on his father's jacket.

"And me," Clara agreed, raising her hand to offer her services.

The Doctor grabbed it, turning her hand over to see the burns, smiling, "Oh, Clara…oh. You are _wonderful_!" he laughed, holding up her hand to Evy to show her 'Big Friendly Button,' written on it, burned on it.

"That's human skin for you," Evy laughed, "Brilliant!"

The Doctor grabbed his sonic and flashed her hand, "The rift in time. All the memories leaking out. I need to find the moment we crashed. I need to find...the music," he grinned as they heard music fill the room.

Evy took Clara's unburned-hand and they ran out after the Doctor…

~8~

They ran into the console room, the Doctor using the trace from Clara's hand to guide them to it, seeing a crack in the wall under the console that looked quite a bit like a vertical version of the one that had been on Amy's wall as a child.

He walked over to it, "The time rift. Recent past. Possible future."

"What are you going to do?" Clara asked.

The Doctor pulled out the remote for the magno-grab he'd nicked off Gregor and held it up, tossing it to Evy, "Your handwriting's nicer than mine," he shrugged.

She rolled her eyes and started to carve the words on Clara's hand into the button.

"Rewrite today, I hope," the Doctor answered Clara, "We've thrown this through the rift before. I need to make sure this time. Going to take it in there myself. There might be a certain amount of yelling."

"It's going to hurt?"

"His plans usually do," Evy remarked, tossing him the button back.

He winked at her and headed to the rift.

"Wait!" Clara rushed to stop him, "All those things you said. How we've met before. How I died..."

"You'll forget them," Evy told her, "Time heals everything."

"I don't want to forget. Not all of it. I..." she hesitated, "I saw a room...there was a temple and an orange sky and red grass," she looked at them, "Was that your world? Was that Gallifrey?"

They exchanged a look and nodded, "It was," the Doctor answered.

"It's beautiful," Clara told them, "I don't want to forget that."

Evy smiled, "We'll show you it again sometime," though probably without the Untempered Schism there. That 'temple' she'd mentioned was the only place the Schism appeared in the hologram room. She and the Doctor had worked on it, adjusted it over their time, made it more of a merging of both their memories, of them standing before the Schism, their escorts, two rather severe men, behind them, and the beauty of their planet before them, it made it more powerful. Maybe they'd show her the beach instead.

They didn't know how the Untempered Schism would work, with it being a memory, whether LJ would be able to be initiated when he was older, via just the hologram of it, if the experience would be the same. But they'd have to wait to find out. Regardless of that, to see even a memory of the Untempered Schism would probably be overwhelming to a human.

"And the library," Clara added, "I saw it," she looked at the Doctor, who had started to psych himself up for what he was going to do, "You were both mentioned in a book…"

Evy stiffened, "'The History of the Last Great Time War?'"

Clara nodded, "You call yourselves 'Doctor' and 'Evy.' Why do you do that? You _have_ names. I've seen them. I...what's wrong?" she frowned at Evy as she stared at her and shook her head.

How had Clara done that? That book...it was in _Gallifreyan_. There was NO possible way she could have read it or even if she had, been able to make out what their names were. She knew the page Clara was talking of, a set of pages that had their past incarnations and present ones, their names below it. But it wasn't in English. They'd written that book for that specific purpose, for THEM and no one else. Gallifreyan was the only language the TARDIS wouldn't translate...unless...

Had she truly been THAT badly damaged that even the translation matrixes and circuits had been fried?

That would truly be a terrible thing, that would mean the TARDIS had been in even worse shape than they thought for much longer than they feared.

Oh the box would NOT be happy with them if they sorted all this out. As Time Lords and a TARDIS, they'd remember the events of right now whereas Clara wouldn't. And that alone gave her relief.

"If this works, today will be rewritten and you won't remember what you saw," she told Clara.

"You'll still have secrets," Clara frowned.

"We all have secrets," she smiled, "And sometimes," she glanced at the Doctor, "Sometimes it's better that way," she pulled LJ out of the papoose, handing him to Clara, "You may want to hold him. This won't be pleasant."

Clara frowned, not sure what she meant by that, but taking the boy anyway.

The Doctor glanced back at them, winking and pointing at LJ before stepping into the rift, Evy nearly falling to her knees as she screamed in pain as he did...

~8~

The Doctor struggled to get out of the rift, holding onto the button, screaming. He looked over to see the console, the sparks flying, the ship shaking, him, Clara, Evy and LJ at the console, just about to be thrown back the first time.

"Magnetic hobble-field," he cried, "We're flying right into it. Clara, stay by me!"

"LJ," Evy rushed over, taking the boy from the Doctor so he could pilot, slipping him into her papoose as Clara moved to help.

"Please tell me there's a button you can press to fix this," Clara yelled as she helped tie LJ in, his face to Evy's front, protected.

"Oh, yes," the Doctor called, "Big friendly button."

"He's lying, isn't he?" Clara asked Evy.

"Yes," she nodded.

"To stop me freaking out?"

"Yes."

"It's not working," she told them.

"It never does!" Evy agreed, running back to the console to help the Doctor, her one arm around LJ for extra protection, when the TARDIS jolted again.

"Doctor!" he groaned as he saw himself thrown against the railing, staring down at himself, "Doctor. I'm from your future. We haven't got long. It's a reset dial!" he tossed him the button as he disappeared, the button rolling across the floor to Clara.

She picked it up, but quickly dropped it as it burned her.

"No!" the Doctor lunged for it, "No!" and managed to grab it just in time, laughing as he saw what was written on it, "Big friendly button," he held it up to Evy to see before pressing it…

~8~

The Doctor polished the rotor as Evy tinkered with a control, LJ playing with a model of the TARDIS as he sat in his bouncy chair, Clara entering with a towel around her neck, having just showered from the small situation they'd gotten into before.

"I feel exhausted," she leaned against the console, "I feel..."

"We've had two days crammed into the space of one?" the Doctor supplied.

"Why would you say that?"

"He opens his mouth and words come out," Evy remarked, "Not always ones that make sense."

The Doctor watched as Clara gave them a suspicious look before moving over to LJ as he waved the TARDIS at her, wanting to show her it, "Do you feel safe?" he asked her.

"Of course," she nodded, absently playing with LJ for a moment before standing.

"Give me a number out of ten. Ten being whoo-hoo, one being aarrrggh!"

"You're being weird."

"When is he not?" Evy laughed.

"I need to know if you feel safe," the Doctor defended, "I… _we_ …need to know you're not afraid."

"Of?" Clara shook her head.

"The future. Running away with a madman in a box."

"Anything could happen to you Clara," Evy warned her.

Clara just smiled, "That's what I'm counting on. Push the button," she nodded at the console as she left.

The Doctor smiled and tossed a cloth onto the console with a hook shot, pulling a lever as they disappeared.

' _Do either of you want to tell me what you were thinking?!_ '

And then the TARDIS started in on them.

~8~

Evy smiled as she stood at the console, just fixing a few things, seeing if she could rewire the TARDIS to keep the shielding up even when running on basic. She could hear the Doctor and LJ in her mind, the Doctor putting their son to bed, or trying to. LJ was currently distracting his father by feeding his ego, asking for him to give some epic speeches instead of bedtime stories or a lullaby. All it did was get them both worked up, but she had to smile at it, LJ was JUST like her in knowing how to distract his father. She loved it when little things like that popped up. She loved how her son was so much like his remarkable father, but she did like when little streaks of her appeared.

"Evy?" a voice called behind her.

She looked over to see Clara standing there, her arms cross before her more like she was hugging herself than angry at something, and shifting back and forth, a small frown on her face.

"What's wrong?" Evy asked, able to see something was bothering her.

"Could you take me home?" Clara asked, walking over. She'd been so tired before that she'd gone to lie down in the room they'd had the TARDIS make for her for just such an occasion as this where she was worn out after an adventure and wanted a nap before returning home.

"Yeah," she nodded, moving to do that, "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, it's fine," Clara said quickly...till she saw Evy lift her eyebrow at that, and sighed, "I just...I don't know, every time I fall asleep here I have these...dreams," she glanced at the rotor, the room oddly silent now that she was in it, "I think she's sending them to me to freak me out."

The TARDIS _really_ didn't like her.

"What sort of dreams?" Evy asked, eyeing her as she moved around the console to put the coordinates in, piloting the TARDIS gently for once.

"I can't really remember," she admitted, "It's like these...flashes or snippets that I remember. Um..." she scrunched her face, trying to remember, "A place...with a thing in it, it was orange, the place, and there were people there..." she trailed off, looking at a lever distantly, "These two women watching me. And I saw a book," she winced, "I can't remember more than that."

Evy nodded, it was perfectly natural for Clara to have remembered that, especially in her dreams AND in the TARDIS. Dreams were when your mind was less guarded, when things in the subconscious came to the surface, and being in the TARDIS, time was already sensitive in the box. Thinking back on it, they should have suggested Clara spend the night at the Maitland home instead, give her mind time to heal and really push those memories to the back of her mind.

"I'm probably just being silly," Clara sighed.

It wasn't like this was the first time she'd had an odd dream, seen something that made no sense or heard something that frightened her. They weren't even the most random dreams she'd ever had. But...they always seemed to pop up when she fell asleep in the TARDIS, and the fact that she'd had her nightmare again just before those snippets hit her just put her more on edge.

She reached out and hit a random switch, "It's just a dream."

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Clara. She always seemed, to me, to be a bit more affected than other companions as to what was going on around her. Like in Cold War, actually taking a moment to realize the danger and the reality of it all, something I think most previous companions sort of didn't touch on a lot. I mean we had Donna with the Ood/slavery, but with Clara I feel like it was the actual danger she realized. So I thought, with how she remembers some things in TNOTD, that she was so tired in this episode at the end that maybe she just took a nap and maybe, being in the TARDIS still sort of brought the 'fresh memories' (even though they were buried) to the surface for a moment :)
> 
> And how sweet is LJ? I used to babysit one of my cousins and he was the sweetest boy, I swear getting hugged by a child brightens your entire day so I could see him wanting to hug Clara to reassure her :)
> 
> Next chapter...all I can say is...can the Universe handle LJ, his older self, his sister, AND his godfather in one spot!? I honestly don't know...


	24. The Crimson Horror (Part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick note, since Jenny (the daughter) and Jenny (Vastra's wife) will both be in this episode, since J calls Jenny (Vastra's wife) Jen-Jen, SHE will be just 'Jen' (after J appears) while his sister (the Doctor's daughter) will be 'Jenny.' This will also follow the events of the show, so the flashback of what happened to the Time Lords will be in the middle of it all. I apologize in advance for the ridiculous amount of 'J' names. Enjoy!

Madame Vastra stood in the darkroom of her house, her lover/maid Jenny making enlargements of photos a man, Mr. Thursday, had provided them. The man claimed that his brother had died in mysterious, almost _alien_ circumstances, and provided photos of the man, his skin bright red, his eyes wide, seemingly frozen, the body had been found in a canal.

While they normally wouldn't take on such a mundane investigation, the man had also provided a photo of his brother's eyes which seemed to have retained an image of the man's last sight before he died…a vague face frozen in its reflection. Which was why they were now enlarging the photo to see who it was, if it _was_ really something or just an illusion meant to waste their time.

Jenny stood by a line with drying photos clipped to it, and gasped, "Well, I'll be blowed! I think, Madame, that we'd better make plans to head North!"

Vastra frowned at the tone in her voice and moved over to look at the photo, gasping as she saw _the Doctor_ reflected in the man's eye! His skin as red as the dead man's had been.

"Yeah, I think you'd better had," a voice said behind them as a flash of light flared, a crackle of energy sounding.

Vastra spun around, hissing, ready to attack and defend Jenny…when she froze at the sight of the three people before her.

"I'm hurt Auntie V," a young man, well, what LOOKED like a young man, said. He was lean, tall, with brown hair all stuck up, bright blue eyes, a button nose, casually dressed, his hands in his pockets, a familiar grin on his face.

"Jonathan?" Vastra placed a hand on her chest, recognizing the man, the grown son of the Doctor and Evy. She had met him once or twice already.

He winked at her in greeting, "Jen-Jen," he nodded at Jenny who laughed, pleased to see him.

"She's a lizard," the man, dark-haired and light eyed and rather strong looking, beside LJ, well, _J_ as he _insisted_ people call him as he 'certainly wasn't little anymore,' said in a distinct American accent, pointing at Vastra with one hand, his other hand rather occupied.

"Yep," J nodded, "Uncle Jack, meet Madame Vastra and her wife Jenny, or as I like to call her, Jen-Jen."

"Jack?" Vastra looked at J, "As in… _Captain Jack Harkness_?" her voice took on a harsh tone as she seemed to pull Jenny back behind her, hissing at the man in threat.

"Yeah," Jack scoffed, "Like you'd really attack me when I'm holding _this_ little guy," he bobbed the toddler in his other arm, LJ, the mini-J, as he squirmed in his godfather's hold.

"Jonathan, what happened?" Vastra asked, gesturing back at the photo of the Doctor.

J walked over and leaned in, examining the picture before hissing through his teeth, "That's gonna sting," he muttered, shaking his head before he leaned back to talk to the group.

"I'd like to know what happened too ya know," Jack remarked.

He'd been sitting in a small café with Gwen and Rhys and their daughter Anwen, when suddenly, out of nowhere, LJ appeared in his arms, screaming his head off and crying. Thank God Gwen had been there to help him calm the near-traumatized toddler.

But he had freaked out in the _worst_ way because he knew what LJ appearing like that meant, the Doctor and Evy were in danger, a danger they didn't think they'd escape from, and had sent LJ to him for protection. It was a system they had worked out when LJ had been born, that he would be the go-to man if _anything_ went wrong. The Doctor had been serious in his assessment of him, it really would be the best thing for the child to have a guardian who could never die. It meant he would _always_ be there for the boy, and he would, no matter what, LJ was his godson! He was immensely relieved that the TARDIS hadn't appeared though, THAT would mean Evy and the Doctor were...dead. But having LJ just spatial shift into his arms meant there was still a chance the older Time Lords would be ok.

So he'd contacted the _only_ one he could think of that could tell him what happened and where the Time Lords were, the person who had lived through the rest of the events, J. The boy had to know what had happened because he HAD been that baby, and the baby couldn't talk much yet. All LJ had said was 'Sweet!' and he'd told him he couldn't give him any or the boy's mother would kill him. To which LJ huffed and gave him some sort of look that might have meant he thought the man was stupid or that he was annoyed he wasn't being given any sugar.

He wasn't sure.

Luckily, his grownup godson was rather good at backup plans, just like his mother, and, the last time he'd seen the boy, when he'd first met River Song, J had left him with a direct link to a Vortex Manipulator Evy had made for the girl. It acted like a comm. so he'd immediately called out to either River or J to find out what had happened, both would likely know. Clearly LJ would be ok, J was still there, but it was Evy and the Doctor he was worried about.

J had teleported in with the manipulator, claiming River was in an exam and he was bored. Clearly they were still in school at the moment. He'd explained that he remembered this, remembered what happened, but…couldn't say, timelines and all. He HAD said that he knew people who could help though and used a bit of jiggery-pokery, yes, J _had_ actually called it that, to get his godfather's Vortex Manipulator up and running again, claiming it was best to have two ways out than one, sending the three of them there, before the lizard woman and her assistant.

"Mum and dad were investigating this factory place…"

"Sweetville?" Jen guessed, that was what Mr. Thursday had been talking about.

J pointed at her.

"Bad!" LJ huffed, making Jack laugh.

"So what's this Sweetville place all about?" Jack asked.

"Apparently a place of great mystery," Vastra remarked, calming a bit as Jack didn't seem to be flirting with her wife, at the moment at least.

"'Cording to that Thursday bloke," Jen began, "Peoples go in and they don't come out, they're never 'eard from again and some of 'em end up in the river, red, hard skin, eyes stuck wide open, no one knows what killed 'em."

"Sorry, Jenny was it?" Jack grinned at Jen, making Vastra hiss again, "I'm just saying hello!" he insisted.

"I sort of warned them about that," J remarked, rubbing the back of his neck, having remembered Jack meeting them as a baby.

"Thanks," Jack rolled his eyes.

"Do you know what we're up against?" Vastra asked J.

"Yep," he nodded.

"And you know how we'll stop it?"

"Yep."

"You ain't gonna tell us are you?" Jen huffed.

"Yep, I mean nope," he grinned, "It's more fun to watch you and I don't want to spoil anything for mini-me here."

"Well then," Vastra sighed, "We had best make for the North," and turned to stride out of the room, "Strax!"

Jack winked at Jen as she left the room, the woman blushing just a bit as J chuckled at that.

"Ick!" LJ grumbled at the slight flirting, crossing his little arms. Why were they flirting when his mummy and daddy needed help?!

"Sorry kid," Jack laughed, patting LJ on the head, flattening the boy's hair...till LJ swiped at his head, sticking his hair up again.

"Like your style mini-me," J winked at him, running a hand through his own hair, making it stick up even more.

Jack just shook his head at them, they had the Doctor's last incarnation's hair, but luckily Evy's 9th incarnation's dress-sense, simple yet sharp.

~8~

Vastra, Jen, Strax, Jack, LJ, and his older self stood outside the carriage they were going to take to find the Doctor and Evy, just making sure they had everything.

"Oh!" J shouted, realizing there was one thing that should be there also, for this _monumentally_ special trip, "Before I forget," he held up his wrist comm.. He'd been _dying_ to do this, waiting for AGES really for an adventure special enough to tempt her away from her own adventures.

This was his chance, this was _their_ chance, to be the heroes, to rescue the Doctor and Evy instead of the reverse. They'd be so proud.

"Hello?" a woman called.

Jack frowned, her voice was quite perky, a little high, it didn't sound like that River woman.

"JD!" J beamed, seemingly pleased he'd gotten through, and FAR too excited about it, "Listen, about to go on an adventure, want to come?"

"What sort of adventure?"

"A special one," he grinned, not wanting to tell her till she appeared.

"I can't J," the girl sighed, "I'm in the middle of a thing and…"

J just grinned, "Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"N…"

"Please. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please. I'm a Time Lord I can go forever. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please, please, please, please. Pleasepleasepleasepleaseple..."

"Oh alright!" the woman cut in with a huff.

There was a crackle of light as a young blonde girl appeared beside J, "YOU," she poked him in the side, making him squirm at the slight tickle, "Are the _most_ annoying little brother on the planet!"

"Oi!" J slapped her hands away as she poked him with each word, before scooping her up into a tight hug and spinning her around, "You know you love me JD!"

"I'm sorry, did you say... _brother_?" Jack shook his head, staring at the girl, she actually looked quite a lot like Evy did in her current incarnation, blonde but with her last self's blue eyes, he could see the resemblance...oh that was weird how much J looked like the Doctor and she looked like Evy, " _That's_ your sister? When did Evy have another kid?!"

"She didn't," J answered, "This is Jenny…" she elbowed him in the side, shooting him a pointed look, "Jenny _Daniels_ , the generated anomaly," he put his arm around her shoulders, "Mum and dad got forced through a progenation machine and out popped JD here, all grown up…which makes ME older!" he pointed at her, triumphant.

She rolled her eyes, "I'm older than HIM," Jenny pointed at LJ, who was staring at her with wide eyes.

"I think you just scared him," J murmured to her.

"What?!" Jenny gasped, "Why?"

"Mum and dad think you died, he does too," he nodded at his younger self, recalling what he knew of Jenny at that point in his timeline.

"Oh," Jenny turned to the baby, sitting in Jack's stunned arms, and walked over to him, taking his hands, "Hello little guy," she leaned over to smile at him, "I'm your sister Jenny, your OLDER sister, no matter what you may think."

Jack blinked, "So…there are three children of the Doctor standing here?" he looked at them and they nodded, "I can't even _begin_ to tell you what I'm thinking right now."

"We probably don't want to know Uncle Jack," Jenny laughed.

"Knowing him it's probably about how much dancing mum and dad did to get the three of us," J grinned.

"Hey!" Jack cut in, holding his hand over LJ's ears, making him squirm, "Baby, right here, no talk of dancing."

Jenny and J looked at each other and laughed at him being all responsible and 'censored.'

"So what's this adventure all about then?" Jenny looked at them.

"Mum and dad are trapped in a factory called Sweetville," J said, being vague so as not to give away too much of what was happening.

Jenny blinked, a bit surprised her parents were trapped somewhere given their track record at escaping and knowing that the fact that J calling her in meant they really _did_ need help to escape, "Well come on!" she cheered, "Let's go save mum and dad!"

And with that, she turned and hopped in the carriage, her, the other Jen, and Vastra sitting on one side, while Jack, LJ, and J sat on the other, Strax acting as carriage man and driving the carriage.

"Right then," Jenny nodded, "So, give us a brief rundown of the mission, the enemy, our assets and setbacks."

Jack just stared at her.

"JD loves to come up with plans first," J told his uncle.

"I approve," Vastra smiled at Jenny, "According to my research, Sweetville's proprietor holds recruitment drives for her little community. She is only interested in the fittest and the most beautiful."

"You may rely on me, ma'am!" they heard Strax call from the front of the carriage.

"I was, in fact, speaking to Jenny."

"Which one?" Jenny smirked, laughing.

"I think…" J began, "It's gotta be me and JD here," he nudged Jenny's leg with his foot, "It's _our_ parents," he added, that was his whole reason for asking Jenny along, it was THEIR parents, it was their turn to be the heroes, to save the Time Lords, and...he remembered this as a baby, in a way it was an established event, Jenny _had_ to be there because she was already there in his past, "And we're both more than capable of handling our own."

Vastra eyed them, "I suppose you would be suitable…"

"Jenny?" Strax called, clearly only having heard the first part of their speech, "If this weak and fleshy boy is to represent us, I strongly recommend the issuing of scissor grenades, limbo vapor, and triple-blast brain splitters."

"I recognize the scissor grenades," Jenny remarked, not really knowing what the other objects were.

"What for?" Jack asked him.

"Just generally. Remember, we are going to the North!"

"Bad!" LJ called, trying to look serious about how bad the situation likely was for his parents to have sent him away, but everyone in the carriage just smiled, he was just too cute.

~8~

Jenny was seriously reconsidering having gone with J's plan to volunteer _them_ to be the ones to enter the factory. Jen, the other Jenny, had offered them clothes more suited for the times and she rather disliked them. She was sitting in a simple corseted dark blue dress that did bring out her eyes, but it was long sleeved and long and itchy and not at all practical to fight in. She had definitely gotten her mother's love of simple clothing, the dress was rather plain though, which was a blessing. She could only imagine how miserable she'd be if she were sent in there in a pink, frilly monstrosity.

J sat beside her, looking relaxed as ever in his navy blue, though more period, suit. Far too relaxed, she realized, as he'd _fallen asleep_ in the middle of Mrs. Gillyflower's, the owner of the factory, speech. The old woman was ranting and raving about how the world was coming to an end and they were all going to die and burn and salvation and things.

Honestly, she'd tuned the woman out as well, but _she_ , at least, stayed awake. She glanced to her other side to see that Jack, who had insisted on going with them for extra protection (not that they needed it), was smiling away, more interested in distracting and entertaining LJ as he sat on the man's lap than what Mrs. Gillyflower was saying.

"Bradford, that Babylon for the Moderns, with its crystal light and its glitter," Mrs. Gillyflower was raving.

Jenny rolled her eyes and elbowed her brother in his side, jolting him awake, making him kick the back of the bench before him, "Sorry!" he hissed to the people around them who had turned to glare at them.

' _Thanks JD,_ ' he huffed in her mind, crossing his arms and sulking a bit.

She smirked, turning to link her arm with his and lean on him, ' _My pleasure…Siggy._ '

It was incredible! To have a brother, especially a Time Lord one. She was a combination of her parents, not born the natural way but every bit as much a Time Lady as them...almost...she _did_ have a bit of human in her because of the progenation machine's settings having been for human. She was like that lovely River girl, human plus, just…a bit more Time Lord than the woman was given that both her parents had been Time Lord as opposed to human.

She had two hearts, she could regenerate. She wasn't quite as resilient though, she got hurt easier, not often thanks to her military background, but it took longer for her to heal, and she did get tired and have to sleep more than a Time Lord did. She didn't know as much as other Time Lords, like her parents or J, having not been 'born' or carried to term by her mother. While her brain was more like a human's, retaining just about what they could, she _could_ access greater portions of her mind than them, NOT telekinesis like her mother, but most certainly telepathy.

She shared an even stronger sibling bond with her brother J, she loved teasing him, calling him Siggy in private. As she was enough of a Time Lady, she was allowed to know what her brother's true name was. She could even hear him in her mind, much like her parents could hear each other, it was fantastic!

"All aswarm with the wretched ruins of humanity!" Mrs. Gillyflower continued from her place at a podium on a stage, two women and men, both rather pretty, on either side of her, "Men and women crushed by the devil's juggernaut! And moral turpitude can destroy the most delicate of lives. Believe me, I know. I know," she nodded at one of the women and she pulled a cord, opening a cloth screen to reveal another young woman sitting there, dressed in a light grey dress, her back to them, only her curly brown hair visible, "My own daughter. Blinded in a drunken rage by my late husband!"

Slowly the girl turned to reveal her eyes were milky blue, thick scarring around her eyes that made both Jenny and J tense and frown and Jack double his efforts to distract LJ.

' _Something's wrong,_ ' J remarked, stiffening, sitting up straighter, now more alert.

' _That's not a normal scar,_ ' Jenny agreed ' _It's too…precise._ '

"Her once-beautiful eyes," Mrs. Gillyflower lamented, "Pale and white as mistletoe berries," she watched sadly as her daughter stood and made her way across the stage with her cane, "And what, my friends, is your story? Will you be found wanting when the End of Days is come, when judgment rains down upon us all? Or will you be preserved against the coming apocalypse? Do not despair! I offer a way out! There is a different path! Sweetville!" she looked to her daughter as she pulled a drape off an easel, revealing an artistic, idyllic village, "Join us! Join us in this shining city on the hill!" and then she began to sing, "Bring me my bow of burning gold, bring me my arrows of desire..."

~8~

When Mrs. Gillyflower had finished her spiel, J, Jenny, LJ and Jack made their way into the line of patrons. Jack had flat out refused to let his nephew and newly-discovered niece into the factory without him, not that he doubted they couldn't handle themselves, but…he was worried about Evy and he knew, if LJ was _anything_ like either of his parents, he'd not stop screaming till he was brought in with them.

"Oh, quite the little family," Mrs. Gillyflower smiled at them as they reached a large book where people were signing up.

"Thanks," Jack nodded, his hand in LJ's as the boy stood a bit behind him, acting the part of a shy toddler hiding behind his legs, when really the boy was quite clever. Obviously Mrs. Gillyflower would recognize him from when he'd been there with his parents, so he was hiding so she wouldn't see him clearly.

"An American!"

"My...sister and her husband died," Jack said, solemn, playing the part of the grieving uncle, "I packed up to take care of her children," he gestured at Jenny and J, patting LJ on the head, just a bit of his hair and shoes peeking out from behind his legs.

"Honorable of you," Mrs. Gillyflower smiled, pleased, "You'll do quite nicely in Sweetville," her gaze drifting over them, "All of you," before she handed Jack the pen to sign them up, the man winking at the 'kids' as he turned around and led them off.

~8~

Vastra, Strax, and the other Jen, stood outside the building Mrs. Gillyflower was giving her lecture in, "If our strategy is to succeed, they will infiltrate deep into the black heart of this place," Vastra remarked.

"And how will they locate the Doctor and Evy?" Strax asked.

"To find them, they need only to ignore all keep-out signs, go through every locked door, and run towards any form of danger that presents itself."

"Business as usual, then," Jen smiled.

"Business as usual," Vastra grinned at her.

~8~

Mrs. Gillyflower's daughter, Ada, climbed up a spiral staircase, with her cane under her arm, a plate of food in the other hand, smiling to herself as she reached the top and made her way to a locked door. She fumbled for the door handle, kneeling down and sliding a panel up on the bottom, pushing a plate inside and shutting it quickly, "Did you think I'd forgotten you, dear monster? Hmm?"

She jumped back as a heavy rattle echoed before something slammed against the door. She just stood and headed off down the hall to visit her precious dolly…

Meanwhile, inside the room, a very red man with quite floppy hair rammed his tense shoulder against the door again, his Link and his son were out there, God knew what happened to them! He had to get out, he had to find them!

~8~

Ada hummed happily to herself as she walked down the hall, down some other stairs, and into a basement hall, heading to a wooden door. Her dolly was not quite as strong as her monster was, she didn't need the heavy metal doors to keep her in. She smiled, unlocking the door and stepping in, her hands out before her as she stumbled over to a table set up in the middle of the room.

She fell down into a chair beside the table, reaching out with one hand to pick up an old glass teapot, "More tea dolly?" she asked, staring, unseeingly, across the table at a very red woman.

Evy swallowed, her mouth partially frozen open, "Urgh..." she moaned, more alarmed with what she she had been dressed in to fulfil Ada's fantasy of having a living dolly than worried about the red covering her skin and making it hard for her to move.

Ada just nodded, interpreting that as a yes, and leaned in to pour invisible tea into a chipped cup she felt for, Evy rolling her eyes at that.

~8~

Vastra sat on a chair in a small base they'd set up in a flat they'd rented, looking at a photograph as Jen set down a plate of tea for her, Mr. Thursday lying on their sofa, unconscious, Strax, unamused, standing at his side, fanning the man with a fan Jen had given him.

"It asked for permission to enter and then it fell over," Strax grumbled, he'd opened the door, taken Mr. Thursday's card, and the man had promptly collapsed upon the sight of him, "What are we to make of it?"

"He's just had a shock is all," Jen rolled her eyes at him, knowing the reaction most had to her companions, "Nothing to worry about."

"I imagine Mr. Thursday wants to know what progress we are making," Vastra remarked as she stood, "The question is, how did the Doctor's image come to be preserved on a dead man's eye? It is a scientific impossibility."

"I hope the kids and Jack are getting on alright," Jen sighed, smirking inwardly when she saw Vastra tense and breath in sharply through her nose, irritated with her mention of Jack, she _loved_ making the lizard woman jealous.

"If they haven't made contact by nightfall," Strax straightened, "I suggest a massive frontal assault on the factory, Madame. Casualties can be kept to, perhaps, as little as 80 percent!"

"What?!" Jen shook her head at him.

"I think there may be subtler ways of proceeding, Strax," Vastra smirked, knowing the potato was just eager to show J's sister what a Sontaran could do. As they had driven to the factory, Jenny and Strax had had a small conversation about different weapons and combat methods, revealing her soldier-like nature to a fellow soldier.

"Suit yourself," he huffed, going back to fanning the man.

~8~

Jenny huffed to herself as she stood in line with her boys, waiting to get into Sweetville, she didn't like this…waiting. She truly was her father's daughter, she hated how slowly time passed without the excitement of the running.

"I'm dead nervous, aren't you?" a young ginger woman spoke behind her, talking to another woman in line, "They have to be sure, you see. Only the best for Sweetville! I hope me teeth don't let me down," she smiled, revealing rather blackened, crooked teeth, "I'm Abigail."

"Pleasure," the woman remarked dryly.

"I...I had a pal who come here three months back," Abigail continued, piquing J and Jenny's interest, even Jack stiffened a bit to listen in, LJ distracted by the small mirror Jack had given him to play with, watching it catch the light and reflect it onto the ceiling and walls, "She wrote to tell me how perfect it all were. Funny, though. I've not heard a peep from her since."

"Next, please!" a man called ahead.

"Hey JD," J hissed to Jenny, nudging her, nodding at a door that read 'NO Entry' and they shared a grin.

"No," Jack cut in, seeing J pull out a sonic, knowing what they were going to do.

"Create a diversion yeah?" Jenny smirked at Jack, eager to go.

"Your mother will _kill_ _me_ if I let you two go out there alone!"

"Come on Uncle Jack, captain to captain, we'll be fine!" J grinned, "We're dad's kids!"

"That _doesn't_ reassure me."

"We're mum's kids too," Jenny added.

Jack had to sigh, glancing around, "What sort of diversion?"

"One that keeps your clothes on," J cut in quickly, before sighing and rubbing his face, "Cross your eyes."

"What?" Jack stared at him.

Jenny just laughed, she knew about this little trick, something River had told her that J had told her once, and turned to LJ, crossing her eyes and…the poor boy starting to cry at the sight of it, not liking it, it looked weird.

Jack shot them a glare as he started trying to calm the screaming child, some of the women around him turning to try and help soothe him, Jack shooting them grins of tentative thanks, making even _more_ women flock over when they noticed the handsome man with the child, allowing J and Jenny to sneak back towards the door, unnoticed.

J flashed the sonic against the lock, hidden behind his back and Jenny pushed the door open, letting them through. They shut the door and spun around, only to see the factory…wasn't much of a factory really, just an empty room with large phonographs aimed at the door they'd just stepped through.

"Come on JD," J whispered, tugging her on, only for Jenny to pull him down, hiding behind one of the phonographs playing 'factory noises,' when two men walked past, carrying a large flask of red liquid between them.

"Pay more attention Siggy," Jenny hissed at him.

He just winked at her, before they slowly got up and made their way through the 'factory' after the two men, till they reached a lift and pushed it, stepping in, J with his hands casually in his pockets, Jenny with her arms behind her back. They glanced at each other and grinned as the doors closed.

~8~

"Yes, yes, thank you," Jack slowly backed away from the swarm of women trying to make sure LJ was ok now. The toddler had stopped crying only moments after J and Jenny had disappeared through the door and had started laughing at him getting mobbed by a, well, mob of women, "He's fine."

"Are you sure?" one of the women cooed, one of the married ones that was thankfully _only_ focusing on LJ, unlike the others who were grinning and batting their eyelashes at _him_ , clearly trying to flirt with him. He was rather 'omnisexual,' but those women were insane! It was like they'd never seen a man holding a baby before...admittedly a rather handsome and dashing and charming man with the Universe's most adorable baby in his arms, but still! They were probably an inch away from scarring the poor boy for the rest of his lives...

Though, looking at LJ, he could see the boy was rather smug about all the attention he was getting. He had to roll his eyes at that, there was the Doctor's ego shining through. He knew J a bit, the boy had popped up from time to time, he'd taken his godson for a drink or two, a night on the town, J had even turned up at one of his stag nights. And he knew his godson well enough from that. The boy was the most confident, suave, flirty man he'd met, well, second to himself. At least he'd gotten THAT from Evy, the ability to form coherent sentences around the opposite sex. The Doctor just got flustered and stuttery and hid behind Evy, but J just flirted right back. Never seriously, not ever, he always seemed to flirt in a way that made the girl aware NOTHING would be happening. He never gave other women any serious attention.

In fact, the only one he'd seen actually holding J's focus and conversing with him was River Song, and now Jenny. He could guess what it was all about though, he knew about Linking, he knew what a Link was, and he knew how the Doctor's feelings for Rose had halted the completion of the Linking between the Doctor and Evy. J was _just_ as considerate as his mother was and so he could see that, while J flirted a bit, it was never serious, there was never any true emotion behind it, he would just swagger away, a confident grin on his face.

And right now the boy was LOVING the attention, grinning and waving at the women who cooed and awwed at him.

"Should probably take him out for some um, fresh air," he supplied, pushing a random door open behind him and stepping through it, closing it quickly to see that it really _was_ a door outside and sighed with relief, "Next time," he pointed at the toddler as he looked up at him, "We set off a bomb or something."

LJ giggled, clapping, and Jack winced realizing what he'd just said...and that LJ was now excited about it. He recalled a phone conversation with Evy, how the boy kept asking for dangerous animals, and prayed that LJ wouldn't look up at his mother and ask for a bomb. Evy and the Doctor had a thing about explosions.

"Look!" LJ cheered.

Jack nodded, "Yeah, but where?" he asked the boy, glancing around, there was really only a line of flats around them and, while he was fair at picking locks, it took a while, he didn't have a sonic, and he was pretty sure someone would notice a grown man with a baby kicking down doors. No, best to try and look around in the factory, maybe find that Gillyflower woman's office.

"You ready kiddo?" Jack looked at him.

"Run!" LJ nodded, pointing to the left.

Jack laughed and shook his head, Evy probably wouldn't be happy to learn the boy had his father's sense of direction, "This way," and went right.

~8~

Jenny and J stepped off the lift and into a deserted hall, quickly checking to make sure that the coast was clear. They paused, seeing an angry red glow shining through the round window at a door at the end of the hall and walked cautiously down it, peeking through to see a large room with vats of the red liquid the men had been carrying set up, people being brought around on racks and dipped into it.

"Oh my God!" Jenny gasped at the sight.

One of the men who had been dipped in had bright red skin, was gasping for air when he came out of it. The rack moved to the side and set all the men down, the man collapsing before the row of frozen men, struggling to breathe...before he stopped entirely, his eyes wide with fear, dead.

"Oh my God, did they do that to mum and dad?!" Jenny turned to J, fear in her own eyes, "They can't be dead, can they?!"

"They're fine JD," J reassured her, though he had a hard look in his eye that was so similar to their father's, "That stuff is meant for humans so they're still alive. But we need to find them, quickly."

"We need to find dad," Jenny nodded, knowing that their father would be better able to help them find their mum.

"No," J pulled out his sonic and flicked it, scanning around, "We need to find mum first."

"Why?" Jenny followed him as he rushed down the hall.

"Because imagine what dad will be like without mum there to calm him down."

Jenny had to nod at that, their father was _fiercely_ protective of their mother, of their family in general, he'd fly off the handle if _anything_ happened to her, they should find their mother first so he'd see she was ok.

"Where is she?" Jenny asked.

"Hold on…" he bashed the sonic on his hand, "Come on!" before he caught trace of her again, rushing down a set of stairs to a basement level, the sonic leading them to a wooden door. He flashed it against the lock, "Why's it always have to be _wood_?!"

"Move!" Jenny shoved him to the side and kicked the door down.

J whistled, "Nice moves JD."

"Thanks J," she grinned at him, their grins fading though when they saw what lay beyond the door.

Evy had been dressed up in a hideous pink dress, frills and layers everywhere, looking a size too small, making the fabric even rougher against her raw red skin. She was sitting at a table with dusty, chipped china scattered around, clearly someone had tried to turn her into a living doll having a tea party.

"Jjj…" Evy tried to speak, her mouth partially frozen open, her eyes were wide as she stared, not just at her older son, but the _daughter_ she'd only _hoped_ might have survived.

"Hello mum," Jenny breathed, tears in her eyes to see her mother like that.

"Come on," J ran in, he and Jenny gently helping their mother up, leading her between them out of the room.

"What do we do?" Jenny whispered to J as they wandered down the hall with their mother between them.

J looked around, "This way!" he led them up the stairs, back to where they'd seen that red door, booth-like things set up along the wall near it, "Come on mum," J murmured as they led her to one of the booths, helping her in, "Everything'll be fine," he promised her, crossing his hearts, before he shut the door.

He stepped back and flashed the sonic at the booth, the red light, visible through the circular window with slats across it, turned dark blue, the same as his sonic. Jenny stood, tense, beside him, waiting till J stopped. She rushed to the door and threw it open to see her mother standing there.

"Jenny?" Evy breathed, staring at Jenny, wide eyed, tears in her eyes, "Are you…am I…"

"I'm really here," Jenny nodded, tears filling her eyes as well.

Evy reached out and touched Jenny's hair, stroking it a moment before cupping the girl's cheeks, "Look at you!" she breathed, her daughter was so beautiful!

Jenny laughed and hugged her tightly, "Oh I missed you mum!"

Evy laughed, spotting J standing to the side, watching them with a happy smile, "I take it YOU had something to do with this?" she nodded at Jenny.

J shrugged, "Ran into her."

Well…more like searched high and low for her throughout the galaxies. He knew she was alive, obviously, his baby self now knew.

Jenny rolled her eyes, pulling away, "He basically stalked me down through time and space till he found me."

Evy laughed, "That's my boy, doing the impossible," she smiled at him as he beamed.

"Do I get a hug?" J asked, holding out his arms.

"Of course you do!" she ran over to him, hugging him as well, before pulling away suddenly, "J…where's LJ?"

"Safe," he said.

"With Uncle Jack," Jenny added.

Evy raised an eyebrow at that, "Where's LJ?"

The two siblings looked at each other and laughed, "Come on mum," J led her on, "We need to get dad out too."

Evy nodded but held up a finger, pulling out her sonic and flashing it at the seams of the dress, tearing the hideous thing off her. Luckily Ada, when she'd decided to make her a doll, had left her red shirt and black pants on, her sonic tucked away and safe in her pocket since she hadn't been able to leave her holster attached when they'd infiltrated the factory. She smiled, brushing off her pants and straightening her shirt, a bit putoff that she'd had to leave her jacket in the TARDIS, but pleased to be in just her pants and out of that frilly nightmare. She took a breath and started scanning for the Doctor.

~8~

Jack, taking a leaf out of the Doctor's book apparently, decided whistling innocently as he wandered through the halls of the upper factory building, holding hands with a toddler as he waddled beside him, was the less conspicuous way to do things. And, surprisingly, it worked.

Which really wasn't quite that much of a surprise when thought about. All he had to do was shoot a wink and flash a smile at anyone who walked past him and they'd grin and blush and rush off with their heads bowed all shy. It was even more amusing to watch LJ try to do the same as his godfather, wink at people...until they reached a hall where there was no one there.

LJ pouted at the emptiness of the hall which just made Jack laugh and scoop the little guy into his arm, "That's usually a good thing," he poked the boy's stomach.

"Poo," LJ just pouted, crossing his arms.

Jack laughed, able to guess the boy wanted the hall to be filled with some sort of danger or enemy, just like his father, "Come on," he walked down the hall, pausing when he came to a door that was clearly Mrs. Gillyflower's office given the name on the door, "Perfect."

"Buzz!" LJ pointed at the lock as though by doing so it would open.

"Sorry kiddo, I don't have a sonic," he shook his head, "And you're not one either," he reached over and jiggled the knob, grinning widely as the door opened, "Bingo!" he cheered, that Gillyflower woman must not have thought anyone was brave...or stupid...enough to come snooping in her office.

Oh well, her mistake.

He pushed the door open slowly, glancing in to make sure the woman wasn't there, before he stepped inside, looking around. He set LJ down as the boy squirmed, and watched for a moment as he waddle-ran off to a sofa in the room, grabbing the pillows on it and lifting it up to see if there was anything under it. He smiled, "Thanks for the help," he nodded, letting the boy go wild with moving things and doing his own search as he went to the desk off to the side and began to search the drawers.

"LJ," he whispered, nodding the boy over as he found something. LJ immediately made his way to his godfather's side, trying to climb up his leg onto his lap to his lap and see what he'd found. Jack hefted the boy up and pulled open a drawer more, showing him how it wasn't opening completely, "Watch this," he reached in and felt under around, hitting a switch stuck to the top of the drawer and another popped open on the bottom right side. It was one of the drawers that looked like there were two but was really just a big drawer, except now, as the second part of the drawer slid out.

"Deronomo!" LJ clapped.

"Oh kid," Jack shook his head, running a hand through LJ's hair, "You are so your father's child."

LJ just beamed up at him.

"Now, let's see what we have here..." he reached into the drawer and pulled out a stack of papers and a journal of some sort, setting it on the desk and sifting quickly through them, LJ with a small look of concentration on his face as he eyed the documents too. There were plans for a rocket, a control panel, the chemical composition of the poison and an anti-poison that looked like it was crossed out numerous times and fixed, tweaked, till a final composition was circled.

But what really made Jack squirm was the notes about that girl Ada, they were FAR too scientific, too...experimental. He quickly shut the journal, feeling sick as he realized the woman's daughter hadn't been blinded in a fit of rage from her father, but by experiments done by her mother, and she had no idea.

"Oh kid," he repeated, a more solemn note in his voice. He looked down to see LJ was silent, for a baby that could hardly talk, he knew the kid was smart, he didn't doubt he hadn't somehow figured out what was written there or been able to read it, "You are so lucky your parents love you more than anything."

He swallowed hard, his mind briefly flashing to his own daughter, she refused to have anything to do with him, because of the sacrifice he'd made of his grandson. He would NOT make that mistake with LJ, he would protect that boy to the ends of time and back, he swore it.

"Mummy," LJ pouted, looking up at his godfather, "Daddy."

He nodded, understanding that the boy wanted his parents, any child would after seeing that, "I know," he slid the documents back into the second drawer and slid it shut, getting up with LJ in his arms as the boy hugged him, "I bet you and your sister are finding them right now," he headed for the doors, glancing back at the slightly messy room. Mrs. Gillyflower would be concerned someone had snooped, probably, but as long as her precious documents were still there she wouldn't be too concerned, she'd assume they hadn't found anything.

"Well, you know what they say about that," he mumbled, "When you assume you make an ass of you and me..." he winced, "And we are NOT telling your mom that I said that out loud," he pointed warningly at the boy before he stepped into the hall and shut the door behind him.

He looked around and headed down the hall, it was a matter of time before J and Jenny found their parents, he was sure of it. So he had to make sure they were somewhere the two could easily spot them from any point in the factory that also wouldn't look suspicious for him to hang around in, the courtyard. He nodded to himself and headed out, hoping J and Jenny were safe and taking care of each other and had found the Time Lords safe and sound.

~8~

J and Jenny followed their mother down the hall at the opposite end of the red door where there was a spiral staircase. She had a vague idea of where the Doctor was, but she'd been in so much pain she hadn't been able to focus enough when Ada had removed her from the Doctor's room and led her to her own. Luckily she'd caught a trace of him on her sonic. They ran up the spiral staircase, right to a thick door, hearing a banging and rattling of chains from within.

"Doctor!" she shouted, flashing her sonic on the door, thankful the lock was metal at this door.

"Eee…" she heard the Doctor strain to get out from within.

She got the door open and ran in to where he was sitting on the floor, his legs and arms stretched out before him, his eyes as wide as his mouth, staring at her, relief in his eyes.

"Do I have a surprise for you," she murmured, moving to the side so he could see J and _Jenny_ standing there, giving him a little wave as they smirked at him, him staring with wider eyes in shock.

He lifted a hand, pointing a straining finger at Jenny.

"Sure notice _her_ first _again_ ," J muttered, till Jenny elbowed him in the ribs.

"Children," Evy called, not even needing to turn around, smiling as she saw the Doctor's eyes soften as he stared at his children, _his children_ , both of them there for him and Evy.

His eyes snapped to hers, fear in them.

"LJ's fine," she reassured him, "He teleported right to Jack, Jack's here too apparently."

He let out a faint huff.

"Right," Evy nodded, looking at J, "We need to get him fixed."

J nodded and came over, helping to get his dad up as Jenny kept a lookout for them, the three of them managing to get the Doctor down the hall and to the same booth Evy had been in before, helping him in, handing him a pile of clothes Jenny had grabbed from the cell. Evy leaned in and gently kissed his cheek, stepping out and flashing her sonic at the door, the light within turning light blue, until…

It burst open and the Doctor popped out, "Jenny! Johnny! Evy!" he grinned, "Evy, Evy, Evy!" he ran down the hall and jumped in the air, clicking his heels together, "Evelyn Daniels!" and ran back to her, "The most impossible, beautiful woman on the planet! In the Universe!" he grabbed her to him and tipped her to the side, kissing her soundly.

"Oh _dad_ ," J grimaced, "Really _don't_ need to see that!"

Jenny just giggled, "It's _sweet_!" she countered.

J just stuck his tongue out, "Ick," it would have probably been sweet...if it was _anyone_ _else_ but his parents doing it.

"Best thing I've felt in a while," Evy smiled at the Doctor as he pulled away, still with her dipped to the side.

He winked, "Right!" he spun her back up, "Mrs. Gillyflower! We've got to stop her! And then there's Clara…"

"What?" J looked over, actually seeming shocked by that, "Clara?!"

"Poor Clara."

"What about Clara?" J asked, a bit more urgently.

Jenny eyed her brother a moment, he sounded _genuinely_ worried about the woman, much like he worried about her, River, and their mother but there was…something else…just a _hint_ of something…else. Like he was alarmed that he didn't know about Clara being in trouble. Well, she supposed he would be alarmed by that, he tended to know almost everything about the adventures, given how he lived them as a baby first, for him NOT to know something must be jarring for him.

"Where's Clara?" Evy turned to them.

"Clara's here?" J stared at her, how did he NOT know that?! "I mean, I know she's here, she was with you, er, would be with you, will be with you, blimey," he rubbed his head, "I see what the TARDIS is always going on about," he muttered, thinking about tenses, "I know she's here, but…you mean she's HERE, _in_ the factory, like you were just now?"

He didn't know why but…that thought upset him, that Clara was red skinned and in pain somewhere or…dead. Clearly the 'rejects' of the process, the humans did NOT survive, and the thought that she was…that something might have rewritten time and she could be…

He shook his head, no, she had to live, of course she did, she WAS there in the future. But…that image of her, red and hurting, just wouldn't go away.

He didn't like the thought of her in pain.

"No, she'd be petrified," the Doctor stated…till Evy smacked him in the back of the head.

"What happened to you anyway?" Jenny asked as the Doctor pulled out his sonic to try and find Clara, the four of them heading off, "How did you both end up like that?"

"It's the Doctor's fault," was _all_ Evy had to say for her children to nod and accept it.

~8~

_Earlier…_

_"Isn't it gonna look weird?" Clara asked as she stepped out of the TARDIS once it materialized, looking at Evy as she followed her out. The woman was wearing her typical attire, though black this time, black pants and jacket, red shirt, though with a change, trying red boots instead._

_Evy shrugged, holding the door open as the Doctor stepped out with an old-fashioned push pram, dressed in his normal attire though with a bowler hat, LJ excitedly dressed as a miniature-him, in his own little suit with his own little bowler hat on. Evy had laughed at that, at how he was so excited to dress like his daddy...though still without the bow-tie._

_Clara was really the only one with a true period outfit on, a tight black and red dress, high collared, long sleeved, with a bustle, she even had a small bonnet on her curled hair._

_LJ had picked it out._

_Clara had taken the baby into the wardrobe to get him involved, let him pick out her costume for this trip despite Evy's warnings of what happened the last time the boy picked out something, recalling the 'shiny' dress for River. But Clara had come out with a dress in hand, a surprisingly nice dress, and LJ beaming in her arms and clapping excitedly when they later saw her in it, it suited her._

_"Right," the Doctor nodded, "Not London 1893."_

_Evy patted his arm, "Yorkshire 1893."_

_"Near enough eh boyo?" he knelt down and tickled LJ a moment before standing and closing the TARDIS doors._

_"You're making a habit of this," Clara remarked, "Getting us lost."_

_"Sorry. It's much better than it used to be," he pushed the carriage with Evy beside him._

_"It's true," Evy had to agree, "He once spent months trying to get some Australian to Heathrow Airport."_

_"What for?" Clara laughed._

_"Search me," the Doctor smiled, "Anyway..."_

_Suddenly someone screamed._

_"Run!" LJ cheered._

_"Brave heart, Clara!" the Doctor shouted as they grinned at each other and took off towards the shout, coming to a group of people gathered around the edge of a bridge overlooking a canal, pointing at something in the water._

_There was a body floating face down in it, the skin raw red, dressed in white._

_"It's another one, don't you see?" a man was raving even as he was being restrained by the police, "Another victim! Why won't any one of you listen?"_

_"We'll listen," the Doctor grinned as the man looked over at the four of them._

_~8~_

_The man, Edmund Thursday they'd learned, walked them to the gates of a rather pristine looking factory, Sweetville it read._

_"Mrs. Winifred Gillyflower," he sighed, staring through the gates at the courtyard, "An astonishing woman. A prize-winning chemist and mechanical engineer. So why..."_

_"Why has she decided to open up a match factory in her old home town?" the Doctor guessed._

_"And no one who ever goes to live there ever seems to come out."_

_"Bad!" LJ called._

_"Right you are boyo," the Doctor nodded, it was very bad, t_ _hough the grin on his face told them that he was thinking it was quite the opposite._

_Evy could only face-palm and shake her head._

_~8~_

_Their small group stood by the body in the coroner's office, once it had been pulled from the canal, LJ in Evy's arms as he kept crying 'UP!' wanting to see the body, something she had whacked the Doctor in the back of the head for, much to Clara's amusement._

_Half the time she thought Evy just hit him for the hell of it._

_"Same as the rest," Edmund told them as they looked down at the red-skinned man, "All dead from causes unknown and their flesh...glowing."_

_"Like something manky in a coal cellar," the coroner grinned fiendishly, "They keep turning up in't canal. The Crimson Horror!"_

_"Ooh," the Doctor said, at the same time as LJ, "Good name. Hey," he turned to tickle the boy's stomach, "That's good, isn't it?" and then looked at Evy, "The Crimson Horror!"_

_Evy shook her head at him, "Don't make me smack you dear," and looked back down at the body._

_"But what is it though?" Clara grimaced._

_"Hold on," Evy frowned, handing LJ to the Doctor so she could lean in closer, peering at the man's eye, "Doctor?"_

_"Yes?" he asked, absently bobbing LJ up and down._

_"Do you recall what the Romans said about the eyes of the dead?"_

_"The eye of a dead person retains an image of the last thing it sees?" he guessed._

_"That's the one."_

_"What about it?"_

_She glanced up at him, "Take a look," she gestured at the body._

_The Doctor frowned and handed LJ to Clara, the boy immediately starting to play with her now curly hair, making her laugh as she tried to tug his hand away. The Doctor leaned in, examining the eye with a magnifying glass to see an image of an old woman in the eye, frozen there._

_"And we thought it was nonsense," he murmured._

_"Because it is," Evy countered, flashing her sonic over the body, ignoring Edmund and the coroner staring at her, "The chemical composition of the body has been massively corrupted."_

_"Hmm…" he reached out and put a glove on, running his hand on the red skin, picking up traces of it._

_~8~_

_Evy laughed as she watched the Doctor running around a makeshift lab he'd set up in the coroner's, LJ strapped to his chest as the boy insisted on seeing what his father was doing, up close and personal, and not from his mother's arms, and the Doctor had needed both hands free so...the papoose it was. Which, she had to admit, despite how much she loved holding her baby boy, he was getting big._

_"Wow," the Doctor grimaced, looking at a vial in his hand, "This is nasty," and making sure to keep it away from LJ's hold, "An organic poison," he looked up at Evy, "A sort of venom."_

_Evy nodded, considering that and looked at Edmund, "And you believe it has something to do with Sweetville?"_

_"I do," he agreed._

_"Well, then," the Doctor stood, looking a bit ridiculous with his bowler hat on and a baby dressed like him strapped to his front, hardly the best way to appear serious, "We need a plan!"_

_"And that means a backup plan too," Evy added._

_"Oi!" the Doctor pouted, till Evy gave him a kiss, LJ covering his eyes and shouting 'ick!' which made Clara laugh._

_~8~_

_Of course the plan, instead of sneaking around cautiously, the Doctor's thoughts were to take the front door approach this time, and there they were, standing before one Mrs. Gillyflower, the old woman from the dead man's eye, the owner of the factory, in her personal office later that day._

_"Doctor and Mrs. Smith," Mrs. Gillyflower grinned at them, looking at the Doctor and Evy as she walked over, "And your little one," she squeezed LJ's cheeks, the three of them smirking as the baby pouted and batted the woman's hands away, so she turned to Clara, "And your precious nanny," she eyed her, "Oh, yes. You'll do very nicely."_

_"Oh, grand," the Doctor smiled, using a Northern accent, putting an arm around Evy, who had been forced to wear a period dress, choosing a simple brown gown with long sleeves, pinning her hair up just a little, though she wore her pants, boots, and shirt underneath. She smiled and tugged LJ's hand away as he tugged on her hair, "Smashing. Eh, the missus and I couldn't be more chuffed, could we, love?"_

_Evy gave him an amused smile, "Don't do that," she patted his arm, both knew she was speaking about his accent, "Don't."_

_Clara just laughed, "You're accent is REALLY bad," she whispered to him when Mrs. Gillyflower turned her back, "Seriously, can I record it for when I have a bad day and need a laugh?"_

_He pointed at her like he was going to say something before turning away._

_~8~_

_The three of them followed Mrs. Gillyflower along the courtyard of Sweetville, Clara with LJ in her arms as the Doctor and Evy walked, arm-in-arm, "Sweetville will provide you with everything you need," the woman stated as she showed them the houses available, "You won't have to worry about a thing…ever again."_

_"The name," Clara called, adopting Cockney accent instead of a 'north' one, "Sweetville."_

_"Oh don't do that either," Evy groaned, the only one speaking with her normal accent, though LJ giggled and clapped at Clara's attempt._

_"Yay!" LJ cheered to the woman holding him._

_Evy had to shake her head, she had the sneaking suspicion Clara could butcher any sort of accent and LJ would find it perfect, that little crush really WAS adorable._

_"Yes?" Mrs. Gillyflower turned._

_"Why not name it after yourself?" Clara continued, "After all, it's your creation."_

_"Gillyflowertown, eh?" the Doctor spoke, in his northern accent, "Gillyflowerland! You could have roller-coasters."_

_Clara snorted a bit as he looked at her, "Sorry, it's just, that really IS a terrible accent," she whispered to him._

_Mrs. Gillyflower stopped and turned around, "It is named in tribute to my partner."_

_"Your husband?" Evy frowned._

_"No. My silent partner. Mr. Sweet likes to keep himself to himself. Shall we move on?" she motioned to a door beside them._

_"Who lives here?" the Doctor tensed, he usually loved closed doors, the ones he got to open with the sonic, but with LJ there, he found himself more than a bit wary of them and what could lurk behind them._

_"Oh, names don't matter here. All you need to know is that we only recruit the brightest and the best," she patted Clara's cheek, pulling her hand away quickly when LJ tried to bite her with his little teeth for touching Clara._

_Mrs. Gillyflower cleared her throat and turned to open a door, gesturing them on. They stepped into the threshold and looked around, spotting a man and woman frozen, motionless, like large dolls, sitting at a table for their tea, a glass case over them, preserving them._

_The turned around, wanting to leave, only to see men, rather large men, coming up behind them, women coming behind them in the houses, and looked at each other._

_"Jack?" the Doctor asked Evy as he pulled out his sonic._

_"Jack," she nodded, squeezing LJ's hand before the Doctor activated the special spatial shifter they'd placed with the boy._

_"Where did he go?!" Clara gasped, fear and shock racing through her when LJ suddenly disappeared from her arms in a crackle of energy._

_But they had no time to answer as the men and women advanced…_

_~8~_

_Evy woke with a gasp to see she was wearing a white sort of dress, her under dress, under which she had her pants and sonic, but her hands tied, hanging from a large rack dangling her above a vat of the red poison. She looked over, seeing another claw-like thing moving across from her, the Doctor in the middle of a group of men, just starting awake as well._

_They struggled to get free but the rack just lowered…dipping them, conscious, into the poison._

_~8~_

_The Doctor groaned in his throat as he woke, lying on a floor, in pain. He could see his skin was red, hard, he could barely move it, but what really alarmed him was Evy lying only a few feet away, looking much the same, awake, and breathing. He strained, struggling to push himself closer to her, Mrs. Gillyflower a few feet away, standing before a row of humans, petrified, in a line, women, he was too distracted to make out Clara standing among them._

_"Like pretty maids all in a row," the woman was saying, "The process improves with every attempt! Mr. Sweet is such a clever old thing," the Doctor looked over, seeing her glancing their way, grimacing, "Oh, into the canal with the rejects, Ada," she called to her daughter as the girl stood before the women._

_"Yes," Ada nodded, using her stick to make her way over to them, the only two rejects there in the batch. She paused though when she drew near, hearing them grunting and moaning in pain. She knelt down and reached out with both hands, gasping when two different hands gripped hers._

_"Ma..." she began to call…when they squeezed her hand, they were alive!_

_~8~_

_Ada stood before the Doctor in an old room, shackling his wrists as he stood, petrified, red, before her, "Sometimes, the preservation process goes wrong. Only Mr. Sweet knows why. And only mama is allowed to talk to Mr. Sweet. But if you're very good, you can stay here. You'll be my secret. My special monster," she reached out to touch his face and he tensed, "Shh."_

_She turned and walked off, the Doctor's eyes filling with fear as he saw her kneeling beside Evy, who she'd left sitting near the door, helping/hauling the woman to her feet as Evy let out a pained groan and started to pull her out of the room._

_"Nnn…ohhh…" he tried, reaching out his arms, trying to stumble after them, but Ada shut the door in his face._

_"Now," Ada turned to Evy, "Come my pretty," she tugged her along, leading her painfully down the hall, "I have always wanted a dolly but mama felt them frivolous. That shall not stop me now."_

_Evy could only find herself praying that whatever Ada did…she left her clothes and hair alone…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've got Jenny and Jack back with J! ...I'm starting to think their next child (FAR in the future, IF they have a second one) should have a name VERY far away from a J one lol, either that or lump Jenny and LJ together and call them both JJ as a pair :) But really though, I am SO excited for the next chapter because...we get to Clara and LJ/J are really just too funny around her :)
> 
> I hope Jack and Jenny appeared to be in character here. And I hope Jenny's biology is justified. Since they never said in the show just what Jenny was (whether Time Lord or Human with hints of Time Lord or some mix or anything) I just went with she's like...90-95 percent Time Lord, more than River but not exactly pure Time Lord :) There'll be more about what that means for HER Linking in the next chapter if she's not quite 100 percent Time Lord.
> 
> Lol, did you like LJ's crying at the cross-eyed thing? I just thought it would be funny, like he LOVES everything and learning and seeing everything, wanting to see the dead body and Solomon's legs and the creatures in the TARDIS...but cross your eyes and he starts bawling :) Awww, sweet :)
> 
> Next chapter...Jack gets blamed for something. The siblings share a touching hearts-to-hearts talk. And...J gives an epic speech :)


	25. The Crimson Horror (Part 2)

The Doctor winced as he finished telling Jenny and J about how Edmund had burst into his room, what might have been a day later, covered in the venom and died right in front of him.

"So _that's_ who the man was," J remarked as his parents looked at him, "Auntie V had a caller come with an optogram of someone's eye, it had YOU in it dad."

"Poor Edmund must have come looking for us," the Doctor looked at Evy, "And then fallen into a vat of the pure venom."

"I bet Gillyflower pushed him," Evy muttered, "I hate that old bat," which made Jenny laugh, "What?" Evy glanced at her, "Because of her and her bloody supermodels we had to spatially shift our son across time and space to Jack!" she huffed.

She was infinitely thankful that Jack was immortal, that he loved LJ as much as they did, and that he was all too willing to care for the boy whenever needed, but she did NOT like the fact that, at times, the only method they had available to get the boy to his uncle when in danger was to spatially shift, or teleport, him off. Any number of things could go wrong and, while she had made damn sure everything was fine with backups to the backups to protect him, there was always the lingering mother's fear that struck her and always left her feeling like she couldn't breathe till she heard LJ had made it there safely.

"Aww," Jenny cooed, putting an arm around Evy's shoulders, "Mum misses her baby boy."

"I'm right here," J pouted, crossing his arms in a huff, looking very much like his baby self whenever he missed out on seeing 'the thingies' trying to chase them down.

"Her _cute_ baby boy," she leaned over and poked him.

"Oh _thanks_ ," J rolled his eyes, "But if we could focus…Clara's still round here somewhere."

"Yes," the Doctor nodded, heading off, "Probably trapped with the other pilgrims."

"What exactly _is_ that stuff?" Jenny asked, looking back at her mother as she followed her father, "J tried to scan it with his so…" she trailed off, seeing J frantically shaking his head behind their mother's back.

"With his _what_?" Evy stopped and looked at her daughter.

"His sonic," Jenny answered, not sure why J was now rubbing his forehead before he straightened when Evy spun to him.

"You're younger than the last you we saw," she eyed him, "And YOU have a sonic too?"

"Um…yes?" J offered.

"Where are you now?" she asked, "At what point in River's timeline?"

They really had no way to tell what J had been up to between now and when he'd go to Luna University to find River, when he'd leave them, at what age, whether he'd try travelling around with some other form of space/time travel or anything. And they didn't want to know, they didn't want to know the exact age their son would one day consider himself grown enough to leave them, so they just based his timeline on River's. They knew enough to know the boy popped up in her timeline in order, probably had his running parallel to hers for the most part. It made sense, both being best friends, and J determined to have her lead a wonderful life, he'd want to be there every moment of it. So, for now, until River reached the Library, that was how they measured where he was.

"We're um…still…stillinschool," he said quickly.

"What was that?"

"We'restillinschool," he repeated, just as quickly if a bit louder.

"Jonathan Ianto Smith…"

He sighed, knowing better than to try any funny business when she did _that_ voice AND used his full human name, "We're still in school, the winter semester after she met you as my parents, it's nearly Christmas for us."

"Did your father give you that sonic?" Evy asked, eyeing it.

The Doctor started shaking _his_ head this time.

"Stop it," Evy called, not even having to look behind her to know what he was doing.

He sighed, hanging his head.

J smiled at that, his mother really did have eyes in the back of her head didn't she?

"No mum, I built it all on my own," he held it up, his own crude little sonic, with a dark blue light, quite unlike the sophisticated one she recalled his even-older self holding in Manhattan, "It really can only track people I've got a scan on already and open doors, boost some power, but not much else, still need to work out a few kinks and…"

"So _that's_ why it couldn't scan that red stuff," Jenny cut in, she'd been on the receiving end of his rambles about his beloved sonic and knew enough to know she should probably stop him before he went on for too long, "But what is it exactly?"

"Deadly poison," the Doctor stated.

"So Clara's out there somewhere covered in deadly poison?" J frowned, feeling his stomach unsettle at that. Clara was nice, she didn't deserve that, not that the other humans deserved it either.

"Clara, yes!" the Doctor turned, starting to lead the way again with his sonic.

"From what I could tell," Evy looked at her own sonic as they followed, it had gotten a reading of the liquid when they'd been dipped in it, "That stuff in the vats is a diluted version of it, acts more like a protective coating than anything."

"Why didn't it work on you?" Jenny frowned.

"It could be that we're not human," Evy shrugged, "But we can't be sure, clearly it doesn't work on everyone and I doubt they were aliens too."

J shifted again, his mind flashing back to Clara again, was it weird that he was starting to get rather…anxious to find her? It was almost like…he _had_ to find her, see her again, reassure himself she really was alright and alive and not…dead.

"Protect them from what?" Jenny shook her head.

"Come on JD," J nudged her, shaking himself out of his thoughts, needing a distraction, "I was _asleep_ and I paid more attention than you."

"Shut up J," she elbowed him back, making their parents smile at the sibling bickering.

"JD?" the Doctor asked.

"I um," Jenny smiled, "I go by Jenny Daniels," she told them, "You already had a J. Smith," she nodded at J, who winked, "And I AM mum's daughter too, so I chose J. Daniels."

"That's lovely Jenny," Evy smiled, hugging her, "Thank you."

Jenny just shrugged bashfully.

"Anyway," J cut in, "She's dipping the humans in the poison to protect them from the coming apocalypse! …mad old bird."

"Oi!" Evy whacked him on the arm, "Mind your manners."

At least she could be thankful his language seemed to have improved.

"But you just…" J pointed at her, "And you said…but you called her a…"

The Doctor shook his head, "Don't _ever_ try to understand women J," he replied, putting an arm over his shoulder, "I still don't and I've got your mum _living_ in here," he tapped his head.

"'When the End of Days is come and judgment rains down upon us all...'" Jenny muttered, recalling that line of Mrs. Gillyflower's sermon now that J had brought it up.

"What?" the Doctor looked at her.

"It was something Mrs. Gillyflower said at the last sermon."

"Which doesn't sound too nice," J had to agree, swallowing as his mind returned once more to Clara, "So…Clara?"

"Right, yes!" the Doctor cheered, "Clara, got to find Clara," and resumed scanning for her, rushing off, leading them down a set of stairs to the courtyard…

Stopping short when they nearly ran into someone.

"Whoa!" Jack grinned, grabbing the Doctor's shoulder to keep him from toppling over, having run into him, LJ in his other arm, the little boy dozing away on his shoulder, SO bored he'd actually fallen asleep waiting there for the others, "There you two are!" he breathed a sigh of relief, "Eves!" he rushed over and hugged her with his one arm, "Glad to see you're ok," he nodded and looked at the kids, "You did good," he told them.

"Told you we were mum's kids," J grinned.

"Speaking of my kids," Evy reached out and took LJ back gently, not wanting to wake him.

"So, what are we doing?" Jack looked at them.

"We need to find Clara," J told him as they headed out into the courtyard, leading the way despite the Doctor flashing his sonic behind him, Evy pulling hers out to help.

"Are you _sure_ Clara's ok?" Jenny called.

"She is," J nodded, answering for his parents, "I saw her, as a baby, afterwards, I guess after you found her," he paused to think, "I just thought she'd managed to escape and hide around…"

"Got her!" the Doctor called, getting a trace of Clara on his sonic as it beeped, running over to a house, Evy sonicing the lock open for him. They ran in to see Clara sitting there, frozen, in a glass casing, with a handsome man standing beside her, frozen as well.

Jack glanced at J, smirking a bit when he saw the boy seemed to be…glaring…a little at the man beside Clara, "She's cute," he remarked, wanting to tease him a bit.

Jenny nodded, seeming to pick up on that fact in her brother as well, "I see why you like her J."

"What?" J turned to her, startled out of his glare, sputtering though his parents noticed a faint blush creeping up his neck, "I don't…I never said I…she's just…shut up," he huffed, sounding very much like his father, before turning to grab a chair and smash it against the glass, breaking it, quickly picking Clara up into his arms and turning to see his amused parents watching him be the 'tall, dark hero' as the Dream Lord had once called the Doctor, "We need to help her?" he reminded them.

Evy smiled, "Right, come on," and led the way out, surprised LJ hadn't woken up at the sound of the smashing glass. She laughed to herself, it seemed he had inherited her sleeping habits at least, she could sleep through anything.

~8~

The Doctor stood beside the small slats on the booth he and Evy had been revived in, he and J peeking in at Clara as she stood within, Evy sonicing the booth, all of them hoping to reverse the process despite Clara being a human.

"You think she can be revived like that?" Jack asked, standing at the end of the hall, keeping a lookout.

"We were," Evy shrugged.

"Well, you better hurry," Jack rushed over, "We've got company," and pulled out his revolver as some of the men and women Mrs. Gillyflower had gotten to walked in at the end of the hall.

"Jack put that _down_!" Evy snapped, nodding at the child in her arms, despite him _still_ being asleep…he must have been REALLY bored.

Jack winced and put the gun away, not wanting to get slapped like Evy so often did to the Doctor.

"Oh, great," the Doctor muttered, "Great. Attack of the supermodels. Again."

"Time for a plan?" J looked at his parents, still standing at the booth to keep an eye on Clara, as the pilgrims pulled out bats.

"Oh I've got one," Jenny winked at her mother, "Had a backup plan all ready when Uncle Jack pulled out the gun."

"Go on," Evy smiled at her.

Jenny grinned and strode toward the pilgrims as three men marched towards her…

Only for one to get thrown over her shoulder, another kicked into the wall, and a third punched in the face, all three knocked out in a matter of seconds, all the while Jenny did it still in her dress.

The Doctor, Jack, J whistling at her moves as Evy laughed, LJ's nose wrinkling as he nearly woke at the noises.

"That _is_ a plan," the Doctor smiled as Jenny brushed off her hands and beamed at them.

And then the rest of the pilgrims began to advance as one.

"Ok," Jack nodded, reaching out to pull his niece back, "Time for a new plan."

"I've got one," J began, "Or rather, THEY do," he nodded to the side, moving to press himself to the wall, blocking the booth, as Strax came running in with his gun out, firing at the humans till they ran away.

"Oh sure," Jack rolled his eyes as Evy and the Doctor remained silent, "Let the potato use the gun."

"He's not LJ's godfather!" Evy remarked, rubbing LJ's back as he actually started to wake up, though the boy blinked and rubbed his eyes, not quite awake completely yet, Vastra and Jen-Jen racing after Strax with their samurai swords drawn.

"Quickly!" Vastra called, seeing them alive, "Let's go!"

"No!" J told her, urgent, glancing into the booth, "Clara's not ready yet!"

Vastra and Jen paused, looking at the Time Lords, " _Clara?_ " Jen asked.

Vastra turned to the Doctor, "What did you _do_?!"

"Nothing!" the Doctor insisted, holding up his hands, "Why does everyone always think _I_ had something to do with things?" they stared at him and he sighed, "Oh alright, because I usually do."

"It's a _long_ story, Vastra," Evy told her as she bobbed LJ, the boy squinting as he looked around, confused as to where he was and what was going on.

"What now, Madame?" Strax asked as he headed back to Vastra, "We could lay mimetic cluster mines."

"Strax," Vastra sighed.

"Or dig trenches and fill them with acid."

"Strax! You're overexcited. Have you been eating Miss Jenny's sherbet fancies again?"

"…no."

Vastra shook her head, "Go outside and wait for me until I call for you."

"But, Madame..."

"Go!"

Strax pouted as the Doctor patted him on the back, the sullen potato walking off, "I'm going to go and play with my grenades," he muttered as he left.

LJ looked at his mother, now wide away, and grinned a toothy smile when he saw he was in her arms again, starting to babble excitedly, wanting to tell her what had happened between being sent away and finding her and all the funny jokes his godfather had taught him during his quest to try and keep the boy awake as they waited.

"Jack…" Evy fixed the man with a hard look.

Jack held up his hands, "Whatever he said, it wasn't me."

Evy rolled her eyes, "Yes, because SO many people in 19th century Yorkshire would use dancing as a reference to…" she glanced at LJ and covered his ears, hissing "Sex," at Jack.

"It was them!" he pointed at Jenny and J accusingly, Jenny just smiling innocently while J's attention was still on the booth.

Luckily, Evy's disbelieving retort was cut off by LJ shouting, "Denny!" and waving at Jenny.

Jenny laughed at how he couldn't seem to pronounce some 'J' words, yet his 'name' started with a J, and moved over to tickle him.

"I think she's almost done," J murmured, peering into the booth and opening the door.

"Well I'll be blowed!" Jen gasped, staring at Clara standing there, really _Clara_.

"We know who you think she is," the Doctor began, "But she isn't. She _can't_ be."

"She's impossible," Evy nodded, "An impossible girl. A human one."

"I was right, then," Vastra gave them a small smile, knowing how devastated they'd been to lose the other Clara, "You and Clara have unfinished business."

Clara suddenly fell forward, right into J's arms as he leapt forward to catch her before she hit the ground, the move cutting off LJ's ramble to turn and see Clara there, clapping at her. Clara, though, blinked up at J as she came around, staring into his wide blue eyes…very _familiar_ …very blue eyes.

"Hey there Clar," J smiled down at her, his arms really the only thing holding her up at the moment.

"Do I know you?" she asked in a breath, there was something _really_ familiar about him but her mind had gone a bit…fuzzy suddenly, "Hold on…" she blinked.

"There it is," he grinned.

"I saw you, before, in the market of Akhaten," he shrugged though, hadn't happened yet to him, but he didn't doubt he'd run into her there too, River had just learned about the Festival of Offerings and had added it to their list of places to go, things to do, and people to see for when they graduated. But Clara wasn't done just yet, "And again at the shop!" her eyes widened, recalling when she'd gone to the shop for help in getting the internet on her laptop, a…well, dashing…man had politely let her out as he was stepping in with another woman, "You held the door open for me…"

He laughed, tapping her nose, "Hello Clara."

"I know you, don't I?" she frowned, just…staring at him…not even realizing she was standing on her own now, but still in his arms, not even realizing she hadn't looked away from his eyes. She'd felt like he was familiar in the market, but it was something MORE than just running into him at the shop…there was something about him…something that she just couldn't...

"Clara," Evy called, taking pity on the girl as she just stared at J intently, trying to place him. She held up LJ's arm, making him wave, "Say hello to LJ."

Clara blinked, pulling her gaze away from J, only Jenny catching the small pout her brother gave at that, "But…THAT'S LJ," Clara pointed at the baby.

"And THAT'S LJ as well," the Doctor nodded at the man holding her, still, "Older LJ."

"You can call me J though," J offered, "Helps differentiate me from mini-me over there."

"J?" Clara asked, looking at him.

"Or Captain," he grinned again.

"Captain?"

"Dodor!" LJ cheered.

The Doctor laughed, ruffling his 'little' boy's hair, "Yes, like 'Doctor.'"

"So…the Captain, like the Doctor," Clara blinked, actually feeling foolish she kept asking, whatever they'd done to her must have done a number to her head. She shook it for good measure, "So…what's going on Cap'n?" she asked, trying her hand at a Northern accent.

J gave her a look, "Cap'n?"

"I like giving nicknames," she shot him a wink, she already called the Doctor Chin-boy and Evy Cowgirl in her head, recalling his words from the market, though she got the sneaking suspicion that this version of J might not have reached that point yet. Oh time travel.

J beamed at that, answering her question, "Haven't you heard, love?" he mimicked a Northern accent as well, his impersonation sounding rather a bit like his father's own really terrible one, "There's trouble at t'mill!"

Clara laughed at that too, but more of a coy laugh than one that made it seem like she found his accent ridiculous.

"Oi, hey!" the Doctor pouted, making them both look at him, snapping them out of the little moment, "How come you're not making fun of HIS accent?"

"Because _his_ accent is adorable," Clara shot back, "Like him," before she froze, realizing what she'd said, "I mean, HIM," she nodded at the baby, and winced, seeing J pout, "Not that...not that _you're_ not adorable too," she told him, "You're just…bigger."

"And you're smaller than I remember," J countered, "I still think you're as pretty as he does," he nodded back at his baby self.

Clara blinked, starting to smile softly, "You think I'm pretty?"

Evy smirked as J actually _blushed_ and rubbed the back of his neck, so similar to the Doctor's last self, aww, it seemed the little crush LJ had had carried over.

Bless.

"And still holding onto her," the Doctor grinned, smirking a bit, having caught that too.

"Rather tightly too," Evy _had_ to add, it was their jobs as parents to tease him.

"Right, yes, sorry," J pulled away from Clara.

"Well aren't you two adorable," Jack smirked at them.

Clara blushed a bit and looking away, a tad embarrassed...

…and then she noticed Vastra standing there.

"She's a lizard," the Doctor told her with a smile.

"Vasha!" LJ clapped, making the lizard woman smile.

"Yes," the Doctor laughed, rubbing LJ's head, "Madame Vastra, um, Jen," he turned, "Meet Clara Oswald."

"Not Os…" Jen began.

"No," Evy cut in, knowing she was going to ask about the Oswin part, "And this is Jenny," Evy smiled at the blonde girl standing with them, "Our daughter."

Clara blinked and stared at Jenny, a bit shocked that the Time Lords had _another_ child, but one who wasn't a baby, perhaps the woman was just a VERY future child? One they hadn't had yet?

"Hello," Jenny reached out and shook her hand, "Pleasure, but we really _do_ have to stop Gillyflower," she reminded them.

"Right, yes," the Doctor nodded, turning to stride down the hall, all of them following him, "Vastra!" he snapped his fingers and pointed at her, "Any new information on what we're facing?"

"Actually yes," Vastra nodded, "My people once ruled this world, as well you know. But we did _not_ rule it alone. Just as humanity fights a daily battle against nature, so did we. And our greatest plague, the most virulent enemy, was the repulsive red leech."

"Ooh!" the Doctor turned to her as LJ pushed the lift button, again…and again…and again, "The repulsive red leech!"

"I prefer the Crimson Horror," Evy shrugged, taking LJ's hand to stop him breaking the lift as was his father's luck, "Now, what exactly is this leech?"

"A tiny parasite," Vastra continued, "It infected our drinking water. And once in our systems, it secreted a fatal poison."

"So what?" Jack shook his head, "It's just been hanging around the bar scene and shadows and evolved?"

"I'd say it found a new host," Jenny argued, "Parasites need a host to make it."

"What is it Clara?" J asked suddenly, having been watching her.

"What?" Clara looked at him, a bit startled.

"You've got your thinking face on."

She blinked, "I have a thinking face?"

He nodded, tugging on his ear as the others looked at him, having heard them talking, "It's…I just…I noticed it when I was a baby," he shrugged, trying to play it off, " _That's_ ," he tapped her nose, "The face you make when you're thinking."

"What's it look like?" she frowned, unaware she had a face like that.

"Cute," he said instantly, before stuttering, "Not that…not that I'm saying _you're_ cute. I mean, you ARE cute, I mean…" he suddenly pointed at Jack, "He said you were cute too."

Jack, who had been watching his godson's flusterings, highly HIGHLY amused, shrugged, "She is," before winking at her and taking her hand, "Captain Jack Harkness," he grinned, kissing her hand...if just to rile J up a bit.

The boy he knew from time to time was the most at ease, comfortable, confident, flirty man he'd _ever_ met, much like him, but around this one little girl he was getting all tongue tied, it really was _hysterical_.

"Stop it," Evy called, rolling her eyes.

"I'm JUST saying hello!"

The Time Lords eyed him a moment, actually hearing that he really _was_ ONLY saying hello to Clara, not even really laying on the charm now that they thought about it, and gave him a confused look. He just nodded subtly to the side, to J, who was pouting at his godfather's 'saying hello.' And they smiled. Aww, Jack really cared about his godson if he was willing to not flirt with the girl the boy had a crush on.

"Anyway," Jenny cut in with a smile, well, more like a smirk as she looked at J.

She was SO never letting him live this down.

He _always_ made fun of her when they'd meet up, if a cute boy might happen to look her way and she'd get a bit flustered. Tease her, tease the boy in question, and joke about it for _ages_ after. But here he was, completely flustered by Clara. It was _such_ a difference to how he normally was, usually so confident, to see him so _shy_ around Clara.

Awww.

She thought it a bit odd though, to be honest, odd in a good way. She'd spoken to River quite a lot since J had found her. The woman had told him how he didn't seem really…interested in girls at University. She'd spoken to him about it, and he'd confided in her why that was. His Link was out there, he firmly believed it, despite the true impossibility of it. And he didn't want to do what his father had done, fall for a human, hurt his Link when he found her, and he _would_ find her, he swore it. He'd spent his life pushing women away, but with Clara, he was getting all shy and…flirty really, holding her close and smiling at her and complimenting her. She could tell he was attracted to Clara, drawn to her in a way, and…he didn't seem to be resisting it as much as he usually did, which, not that she thought about it, there wasn't really all that much of resistance in the past with other girls. He'd admitted he'd never really been attracted to other girls to start, they just…weren't spectacular enough, the ones he'd met. She knew _J_ had only met Clara a handful of times, but, then again, he'd known of her nearly his entire life, from his time as _LJ_. Perhaps Clara just held a special place in his hearts because of that.

She didn't know, but either way, for whatever reason, J seemed to be so comfortable around Clara, she was happy…because HE was happy. He _really_ was. He'd grinned so widely when Clara had opened her eyes and looked at him that she was sure his face was going to split from it. She didn't believe in pushing off _all_ forms of relationships just because you _might_ find your Link. She knew she was too much like a human for Linking to occur, J had told her how he felt about the Linking, like he could just… _feel it_ …that his Link, if he found her, no _when_ he found her, would be a romantic one (much like his parents had felt even before meeting each other). And she just…didn't feel that, she didn't feel anything really at the thought of it. She assumed she was just too human because of the progenation machine that the phenomenon wouldn't happen for her, and that was fine with her, it meant she could live and love whoever she wanted. It would hurt, yes, to lose them, whether to the dangers of her travels or to time itself, but she was a strong girl, she was her mother's daughter, and she would treasure each and every moment.

She really felt like J might be losing out in his quest to not 'betray' his Link in that way. But she understood, which was why she was actually happy that he was so sweet on Clara, his little crush and all, it would be good for him to expand his horizons, get to know other girls besides her and River, well…she supposed he DID know Clara, quite well as she was the current companion.

"What were you thinking Clara?" Jenny continued, shaking herself out of her thoughts.

"The chimney..." Clara began.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," the Doctor cut in, "Way past that now! Yucky red parasite from the time of the dinosaurs pitches up in Victorian Yorkshire. Didn't see that one coming!" he grinned at LJ, tickling his stomach.

"Yeah, but the chimney..."

"But what's the connection to Mrs. Gillyflower? 'Judgment will rain down on us all...'" he snapped his fingers and spun around, "An empty mill."

"Doc," Jack interrupted with a roll of his eyes, this Doctor was certainly _still_ a talker.

"Clara?" Evy looked at her, gesturing her to speak.

"A chimney that doesn't blow _smoke_ ," she finally got to finish.

"Brilliant!" J cheered, hugging her a bit, spinning her around, making her laugh.

"Clever clogs," the Doctor chuckled as well, watching as J quickly pulled away with a blush, oh his boy's first crush, he had to admit it was just fantastic to see it in both LJ and J.

Though LJ was a bit more adorable as he huffed and crossed his arms at seeing his older self being playful with Clara, he seemed to like when Clara held him and joked with him, and now J was taking most of her attention away.

Well, that would _not_ do would it?

"Missed me?" Clara winked at them.

"Well someone did," Evy laughed as LJ squirmed in her arms, reaching for Clara.

"Aww," Clara smiled softly and stepped over, taking LJ, who immediately started tugging on her hair, making her laugh as they all got into the lift as it arrived.

Jenny looked over at J as they all piled in, ' _What?_ ' she asked, ' _What's that face for?_ '

' _What face?_ ' he countered, ' _This is my normal face._ '

Jenny inwardly laughed at that, ' _You're normal face is the 'I'm jealous of a baby' face?'_

' _I'm not jealous of the baby,_ ' he rolled his eyes, ' _He's ME. And he's not really a baby right now, more like a toddler..._ '

' _All I'm hearing is that you're jealous of yourself then?_ ' she smirked.

' _I'm not jealous!_ ' he huffed, before glancing at his younger self, being bobbed in Clara's arms, babbling half in English and half in Baby as she nodded along like she could understand him, smiling at just the right times in the boy's story to make him giggle and clap, and his expression turned softer than the daggers he had been glaring at his sister.

"What is it?" Clara asked, glancing at him to see him staring at her.

"Nothing," he said quickly, shifting, "Just...you're quite good with him, um, me? Him. Kids?"

Clara laughed, before she realized something about Akhaten that made her eyes widen in horror, "Oh my God I told you you were adorable."

"What?" he laughed, not sure what she was talking about.

"Nothing!" she answered just as quickly as he had, "I um, I like kids," she got back to that topic, "Don't know why, just think they're cute," she smiled and tickled LJ's stomach, "And, they're so small it's like they need protection, you know?" she looked up at him.

"Yeah," he nodded, smiling at her for her compassion, but also...the tiny tug in his hearts, in her own words.

SHE was smaller than him, and he couldn't help but feel like she needed protection too. He didn't know what she was, he really didn't, he hadn't been there when it had all come to light when he'd been a child, just that his parents had returned from leaving him with Jack with a new outlook and trust in Clara. They hadn't told him what it was about her that had changed their minds, what great mystery had been solved, they'd just said that his older self needed SOME surprises to look forward to, whatever that meant. But still, he usually felt protective over the girls around him, his sister, his best friend, his mother, his family, any of the companions to come, Clara was no different.

"I think everyone needs protection at times."

"Especially the Doctor," Clara joked, nudging him, "The trouble he gets into. Please tell me you aren't the same."

He laughed, "No, I've got enough of mum in me to usually have a backup plan to get out," he nodded, that and River seemed to have a knack for survival too, "Much better sense of self-preservation than dad."

Clara nodded and turned back to LJ, taking his hand as he tried to tug her hair again, "It's hard to imagine you growing up," she told the boy, "And being him," she looked at J, they were so...different, similar, you could definitely tell they were the same man, but...it was weird, to see two versions of him. And that's what they were really, two versions of the same person, different versions, like two different people really.

"Grew up pretty good though," he winked at her, " _And_ without the bow-tie," he gestured at his bow-tie-free neck.

"Thank the stars for that," Clara laughed.

"Oi!" the Doctor frowned, pouting till Evy gave him a peck, LJ distracted enough by Clara to not go 'ick!'

~8~

It was quite a funny sight to see round about 9 people, 8 of them grown, crouching down behind bits of machinery and crates in the factory floor, how 9 of them managed to fit there and hide, no one was sure, it certainly wasn't Time Lord science though.

They were all a bit cramped.

"She's going to poison the air," J stated, seriously, unconsciously crouched with his arm around Clara, keeping her close with the express intention of helping them all squeeze together.

Certainly had nothing to do with just wanting to hold her closer than the others.

Not at all.

Jenny looked over at him, "How?"

"LJ and I saw plans for a rocket," Jack told them.

They looked back over as a ringing noise sounded, one of the pilgrims had pulled a lever, opening a door to reveal a rather large rocket…which made Jack and J whistle at it for the size, the plans had made it seem rather small.

"And there it is," Clara murmured.

"Big!" LJ whispered, still sitting with Clara, on her lap, knowing he should be quiet at the moment.

"Oh yes, boyo," the Doctor nodded.

Evy shrugged, "We've seen bigger."

Jack agreed, "Utopia."

They watched as two men pulled a cloth off a basket that had a round jar full of the red venom, the color of it, a dark red, telling them all it was NOT the diluted version.

"And there's the poison," the Doctor sighed, "Alright, gang, I've got a plan!" he stood up suddenly, only to knock over metal pipe and send him ducking back down, "Shh!" he hissed, a finger on his lips, whether at them or the pipe they didn't know, "Ok..."

Jenny reached out and grabbed his arm, "Slowly this time father," she whispered as they all _slowly_ stood.

"Right," Evy nodded, "Time for the backup plan then," she smiled, "Jack what exactly did those plans say?"

~8~

The Doctor stalked down a hall with J and Clara behind him, pausing when he saw Ada sitting on a crate at the end of it, crying.

"Who's that?" Ada looked up, hearing the door open as they entered, "Who is there?"

The Doctor glanced at his son before moving over to Ada, kneeling before her and taking her hand, startling her, but placing it on his face, letting her recognize him.

"You," she whispered, "It's you! My monster," she reached out a hand, "But where is my dolly?" she frowned, moving her hand to search for her, when J took it with his left hand.

"Mum and Uncle Jack had some things to do," he told her, he remembered Ada, he remembered what would happen to her, how his parents treated her in the end with kindness, she must have done something to help them. And he just wanted to try and help, not even seeing Clara watching him with a soft smile at his concern and compassion for the woman.

Ada nodded and turned her head back to the Doctor, "But you've come back! But you're..."

"Warm," the Doctor agreed, taking Ada's hand from his face to hold like J was doing, "And alive. Evy and I both, thanks to you, Ada. You saved us from your mother's human rubbish tip. Now, what's wrong?"

"She does not want me, monster! I am not to be chosen. Perhaps it was my own sin, the blackness in my heart, that my father saw in me."

"Ada, no. That's nonsense. Stupid, backwards nonsense, and you know it!"

J frowned as he reached out and touched a finger to Ada's scars, a serious frown on his face now that he had been able to get a closer look at it.

"What is it?" Clara asked, having seen his expression, and not because she was watching his face or anything, of course she wasn't, she was just…observing his interaction with Ada and happened to noticed.

"Who is that?" Ada looked over in her direction.

"I'm..." Clara moved over, kneeling beside J, reaching out to put her right hand on Ada's arm, "I'm a friend, a friend of theirs. Of your monster and dolly and…" she glanced at J, just a bit shy, "And their son."

He smiled at her, taking her left hand with his right, winking at her.

"Then you are fortunate, indeed," Ada spoke, pulling their attention back to her, "It isn't good to be alone."

"Now, Ada," the Doctor began, "I need you tell me something, who is Mr. Sweet? Ada?"

"Oh, dear monster..." she shook her head.

"Ada please," J squeezed her hand, he hadn't been there, he hadn't gotten a good look at just who Mr. Sweet was as a baby, "We need to know what we're dealing with."

"I cannot! Even now, I cannot! I cannot betray mama."

J sighed, letting go of Ada's hand to rub his head before he looked at his father, Clara watching their expressions intently, _swearing_ they were speaking without words, like Evy and the Doctor sometimes did she felt, and in fact they were.

"Well, come with us, then," the Doctor nodded, helping Ada up.

"I'm sorry Ada," J told her, "I'm so sorry, but…there's something you need to know."

They turned, J leading them off with Clara as the Doctor followed with Ada, the Doctor smiling, keeping a soft chuckle to himself when he realized J hadn't let go of Clara's hand. Oh his son was just as much a charmer as he was, not a girl he met who didn't fall in love with him.

' _I heard that,_ ' Evy commented in his mind.

' _The only girl I will ever love though is you,_ ' he smiled.

He could feel her smile as well, ' _Love you too._ '

~8~

"Really Jack?" Evy huffed, "Must you use the gun?"

They were currently sneaking into the main part of the factory, trying to get to the rather large chimney that housed the rocket, so they could either rewire it to not blast off or find some sort of control to override to keep it from blasting off as well. Jack was taking his duty as protective godfather a bit too seriously, though Evy had the sneaking suspicion that he was just exaggerating his moves to amuse LJ who was walking beside her, Jack taking far too slow checking around corners for them to worry about having to carry the boy.

"Yep," Jack winked back at her, making her roll her eyes at him, "Come on Eves, you know the Doctor will literally kill me, I mean find someway to keep me dead..."

"Like throw you in a supernova?" she started to smile, that seemed to be his go-to method of dealing with things he didn't like.

"Yes," he nodded, before finishing, "If anything, and I mean _anything_ , happens to you or LJ. Seriously, the guy would probably chop my head off if LJ sneezes!"

"He wouldn't do that Jack," she reassured him, patting him on the shoulder.

"Good," he let out a breath.

" _I_ would do that," Evy continued, making him stop, the two of them looking at each other a moment till she laughed, "I'm joking, the worst you'd get is a slap on the back of the head right LJ?" she looked at him.

"Yes!" he nodded, "Bite!"

"Or a bite from LJ," she added.

Jack shook his head, "Come here kiddo," he scooped LJ up into his arm as they reached a set of stairs that would lead up to the rocket. They'd only run into two of Mrs. Gillyflower's 'pilgrims' but Jack had knocked them out, not setting a very good example for LJ though.

Evy pulled out her sonic, flashing it around as they moved up it, knowing that they might not have run into many guards because Vastra and Jen were taking care of the poison, getting it out of the rocket above them. She paused though, when they came to a control panel on the wall. She frowned, flashing it, before she grinned.

"Well what do you know," she glanced back at LJ and Jack, "The old bat IS a bit clever," she turned back to the box, "Not as clever as me though."

"Mummy da best!" LJ clapped.

Jack laughed, "You got it in one kid."

Evy just smiled and flashed the box with her sonic.

~8~

The Doctor entered Mrs. Gillyflower's parlor later that night, not even bothering to knock as he soniced the door open, allowing him and Clara and J into the room that had been straightened up from Jack's look through. Mrs. Gillyflower was there this time, standing before a control panel that seemed to be built into the wall as she turned around and chuckled when she spotted him.

"You do seem to keep turning up like a bad penny, young man," she walked over to the Doctor, before looking at J and Clara, her gaze lingering on the girl till J glared at her and pulled Clara a bit behind him, making Clara smile at the protective gesture, she could see so much of the Doctor in him, he often did the same with Evy.

"Force of habit," the Doctor smirked.

J snorted, "Your middle name," he glanced back at Clara, "Literally, it's his middle name on Earth. It's SO embarrassing when he fills out forms..."

"Can I offer you something?" Mrs. Gillyflower cut in, "Tea? Seed cake? A glass of Amontillado?"

"No, thanks," the Doctor's smirk tensed, "We've had a skinful already, as you might say. Me and my Link, who, by the way, I don't appreciate you harming."

"Ha! Very funny."

"I'm the Doctor, you're nuts, and we're going to stop you. Me, my Link, my boy, and my daughter," he agreed.

"And Clara," J reminded him.

"And that Jack fellow," Clara added, smiling a bit, trying to hold in a laugh, when she saw J pout, oh he was SO the Doctor's son, SO easy to tease! She _loved_ it.

"I'm afraid Mr. Sweet and I cannot allow that," Mrs. Gillyflower shook her head.

"Like you get a choice in the matter," J scoffed.

"Would it be impolite to ask why you and Mr. Sweet are petrifying your workforce with diluted prehistoric leech venom?" the Doctor continued.

"So when do we get to meet him, this silent partner of yours?" Clara asked her, "Why's he so shy?"

"Mr. Sweet is always with us," Mrs. Gillyflower patted her chest.

"You seem to have a very close relationship," J eyed her, noticing the move.

"Oh, yes, Mr. Smith," Mrs. Gillyflower remarked, recalling seeing the boy's name on the ledger to enter the town, she should have made the connection sooner despite Smith being a common name, clearly this boy was the Dr. and Mrs. Smith's son, grown up. They had an air of alien about them, "Exceedingly close."

J nodded, almost bored, "Symbiotic, I'd guess?"

Mrs. Gillyflower smirked and unfastened the top part of her gown to show a large red leech stuck to her. She pet its head as it turned, Clara flinching back at the sight of its round, sharp teeth as the woman just laughed and moved to sit on her sofa, picking up pinches of sugar to feed the leech.

"Well I see where you get the name from," J remarked.

"What _is_ it?" Clara whispered to the two men.

"A survivor!" Mrs. Gillyflower answered instead, "He has grown fat on the filth humanity has pumped into the rivers. That's where I found him."

"Very enterprising," the Doctor said, disturbed.

"For a nutter," J muttered.

Mrs. Gillyflower glared at him, putting a hand to Mr. Sweet protectively, "His needs are simple. And in return, he gives me his nectar."

"Mrs. Gillyflower," the Doctor moved to sit beside her, Clara watching as J tensed, seeing his father slip his hand into his pocket and pull out his sonic, just in case the woman attacked him as he was rather close to her now, "You have no idea what you're dealing with! In the wrong hands, that venom could wipe out all life on this planet!"

Mrs. Gillyflower simply held up her hands, "Do you know what these are? The wrong hands!"

"Yep," J nodded as the woman giggled, "A _complete_ nutter."

"You young man," she stood and strode towards him, Clara stepping to his side to help him, not about to let him face down the truly batty woman alone, "Didn't your mother ever teach you proper manners?"

J smirked, "Yeah, she did actually, really helped my language all those books she read me, _never_ should have let Uncle Jack babysit me though, censored my ass," he winked at his dad, making him rub his face, apparently Jack's promises of 'censoring himself' around LJ were false, "Did wonders to my personality," and then he paused in thought, "And then there's dad and he's just naturally rude."

"Oi!" the Doctor laughed.

"Still, I lie, a lot," J continued, "But I tend to tell the truth when it matters, like now. You, Madame, are completely bonkers."

Mrs. Gillyflower huffed and strode past him to the large control panel built into the wall, pulling a lever.

"And that's never gonna work!" he called to her, moving to the sofa to sit beside his father, both of them on opposite sides of it, watching the woman casually.

Clara frowned and glanced between the two men, before shrugging and making her way to the sofa as well, about to sit in between them…only to trip on her dress hem as she turned to sit and stumbled over, landing right on J's lap instead. She blushed furiously and tried to get up, to move beside him, only for the man to smirk and wrap his arms around her, keeping her there, shooting her a wink for good measure, which only made her blush more and him laugh at the sight.

The Doctor gave a secret smile at that, LJ must have seen him doing that quite a lot as a baby, sitting Evy on his lap, to be so comfortable doing that with Clara. He looked away and glanced out the window to see the lights on the chimneys coming on throughout the factory, "Planning a little fireworks party, are we?"

"You've forced me to advance the Great Work somewhat," Mrs. Gillyflower replied, her nose in the air, "But my colossal scheme remains as it was. My rocket will explode high in the atmosphere, raining down Mr. Sweet's beneficence onto all humanity."

"And wiping us all out!" Clara stared at her, alarmed, "You can't!" she tried to get up, but J tightened his arms around her waist, shaking his head subtly.

"My new Adam and Eves will sleep for but a few months before stepping out into a golden dawn," she clasped her hands, smiling at just the thought of it, "Is it not beautiful?"

"Here's another question," J cut in, his hand absently running up and down Clara's arm to calm her, to reassure her, "What did you do to Ada?"

"What?"

"Your daughter," the Doctor continued, "You _do_ remember your daughter? Tell us about your daughter."

"How can you speak of such trivia when my hour is at hand? The child is of no consequence."

"A child is ALWAYS of consequence," the Doctor glared at the woman, making J smile, he remembered his father as a baby, how defensive he got over children, so much more so since he'd been born.

"Is that why you experimented on her then?" J asked.

"Experimented?" Clara looked at him, alarmed.

"The signs are all there," he nodded, reaching up to trace a pattern on Clara's forehead, around her eyes, where Ada's scars had been, making her go cross-eyed a moment. He had to laugh at that, the baby-him would have started crying but the grown-him just found it rather adorable, "The pattern of scarring," he looked at Mrs. Gillyflower, "You used her as a guinea pig, didn't you?"

"God!" Clara gasped, completely stunned by that. She had seen the Doctor and Evy with LJ, how they treated him like he was the _most precious thing_ in the Universe…the thought of this woman doing that to her child…she couldn't reconcile that with the image she had in her head of a mother.

"Sometimes, sacrifices must be made," Mrs. Gillyflower said stiffly.

The Doctor stood, "Sacrifices?" he asked, a dark note in his voice that made J stiffen.

Clara subtly got up too, sensing J needed to stand as well and the two did so, standing behind the Doctor, Clara watching J closely, seeing he knew something was getting to his father.

"It was _necessary_! I had to find out how much of the venom would produce an anti-toxin. To immunize myself! Don't you see? It was _necessary_!"

"You know what Mrs. Gillyflower," J shook his head at her, "You _repel_ me. You think it right and justified to infect your daughter with _poison_. To cut into her and to try and destroy all the good in her. She was just a child," he stepped closer to the woman, his voice dropping, "And do you know what that makes you besides off your rocker?" he looked at her intently, "Our enemy, and do you know what we do to those trying to destroy this planet and harm the humans who dwell on it?" he tilted his head, his voice taking a threatening note, "We stop them. We stop them in their tracks. And we make them turn around and leave. Usually without bloodshed, usually without anyone coming to any serious harm," he smirked, "Usually, but not _always_ ," he stepped back, "Because there isn't anyone who will stop us. There's _no one_ who will protect you. Defend you. Not now eh."

The Doctor had a small smile on his face as he watched his son stand up to the woman, that most certainly WAS a rather epic speech.

' _You taught me well dad,_ ' J called to him, ' _And now to finish it off…_ '

J remarked, "What do you think Ada? Will YOU defend her?"

They looked back to see Ada standing in the doorway where she'd been listening in, "Mama?" she breathed, "Is it...is it true?"

"Ada…" Mrs. Gillyflower began, but made no move to deny it.

"It is. It's true. True."

"Ada, listen to me," she tried to move towards Ada, when J stepped into her way, holding the sonic at her threatening.

"Another step and I blow Sweetie up," he warned her, buzzing the sonic a bit, making the leech squirm and Mrs. Gillyflower step back. It really wouldn't do much, but the noise was enough to scare them.

The same couldn't be said for Ada though as the woman stormed towards her mother, "You hag! You perfidious hag! You virago! You harpy!" J jumped to the side as she nearly bashed him in the leg with her cane on her quest, "All these years, I have helped you, served you. Looked out for you. Does it count for nothing? Nothing at all?" she lifted her cane and struck her mother with it, hitting her over and over.

J winced and put an arm absently over Clara's shoulder, frowning when he looked at her, "You ok?" she was shaking a bit, and seemed to be just an inch short of panting.

"Fine," she swallowed hard, fighting a blush from creeping up on her, not about to tell him at all that she was rather…tingly…hearing and seeing him standing up to Mrs. Gillyflower, he'd been so…strong…just then, confident, protective, daring…she shook her head, now was _not_ the time to boost the man's ego…if it was anything like the Doctor's she should keep her mouth shut.

"Stop!" Mrs. Gillyflower shouted, throwing her hands up to protect herself from Ada's attack, "Stop."

Ada stumbled back, panting, crying, as her mother leaned against a door to the side of the room.

Clara looked over as she heard a beep to see the control panel lighting up and quickly grabbed a chair, holding it above her head.

"Hang on!" the Doctor shouted, "We've got sonic screwdrivers!" he gestured between him and J, both with their sonics out, assuming that if the boy's sonic could turn things on it could turn things off too.

"Yeah?" she smirked back at them, "I've got a chair!" and ran at the controls, shoving the end of the chair into it, causing sparks to fly and the machine to shut down.

"No!" Mrs. Gillyflower wailed, seeing her work destroyed.

J whistled, "Love it," he winked at Clara who winked back with a little grin.

"I'm afraid your rocket isn't going anywhere, Mrs. G," the Doctor smiled, putting his sonic away.

Mrs. Gillyflower took a breath and looked around, knowing she needed to get out, and turned to Ada, crying off to the side, "Please, come to me, Ada. My child," she reached out as Ada came closer, taking her into her arms as she sobbed, "You have always been so very..." and held her gun to her daughter's head, "Useful," she smirked.

"No, Mrs. Gillyflower," the Doctor cried.

"Let her go!" J turned his sonic on the woman, but she held Ada before her, like a shield.

Clara swallowed hard, getting a little shiver as J stood there, like a…a tall dark hero.

"Please, mama," Ada begged, "No more. No more."

"And now, if you'll please forgive us, we must be going," Mrs. Gillyflower started backing up, opening the door behind her, "It is long past Ada's bedtime!" and pulled the girl through, slamming it shut and locking it as Clara ran over to it, trying to open it.

"Use the thingy!" she pointed at the sonic in J's hand.

"We can't follow her that way," J shook his head, reaching out to take Clara's hand, pulling her away from the door, "If we go after her, she'll shoot Ada without a moment's hesitation."

"She wouldn't!"

"She would," he nodded solemnly, making the Doctor pause at the thought that maybe his son had seen the woman do just that.

The Doctor quickly looked around, grabbing another chair and pausing in lifting it above his head, looking at Clara and J, both of whom had demonstrated the usefulness of chairs that night, "Chairs _are_ useful!" he smiled as they watched him charge at the window and smash it.

~8~

The trio ran down the pavement of the factory's courtyard, dashing into the factory floor and right up the stairs, J leading, the others trusting that he knew where Mrs. Gillyflower had gone given that his baby self might have encountered her in his past.

"Stop!" they could hear Ada crying.

They flew around a corner to see Mrs. Gillyflower at a control box on the wall, Ada still in front of her with the gun to her head.

"Just let her go, Mrs. G," J called up to her, "Let Ada go!"

"Just let your daughter go, Mrs. Gillyflower," the Doctor insisted.

"Secondary firing mechanism," the woman grinned down at them, "Mr. Sweet and I are too smart for you, after all!" she cackled.

"Oh are you?" a voice called across the open space to them. They looked over to see Evy standing there on a platform across the way, with Jack and LJ, a smirk on her face, "Go ahead and try it, by all means, launch the rocket."

Mrs. Gillyflower smirked and pulled a lever…only for nothing to happen. She frowned and flicked it back up, pulling it again, back and forth, over and over, till she turned to Evy, releasing Ada who fell down the stairs to the Doctor, as she aimed her gun at the Time Lady.

Only for Jack to aim his own back at her.

"Bad!" LJ called, whether at Jack for returning the gun aiming or Gillyflower for starting it, they weren't sure, though they could see that he was glaring more at Mrs. Gillyflower at the moment.

"What did you _do_!?" the woman screeched.

"She's brilliant at backup plans," Jack smirked.

Evy calmly eyed the woman, trying not to show how amused she was by LJ crossing his little arms and glaring at the woman as he sat on the railing, her arms around him to keep him safe, not even alarmed there was a gun aimed at them, he knew his Uncle Jack and his mummy would keep him safe.

"Jack found your plans and we knew that you'd have a secondary backup, came round and, with a little sonic help," she held up her own sonic, "Rewired it and reprogrammed the controls. They'll only work when a pass code has been entered."

"What is it?" Mrs. Gillyflower glared.

"My son's name."

The woman laughed madly, thinking Evy had given away the code and turned to put in 'Jonathan'…only for it to not work. So she tried John. Nothing. J? Nope. She spun around.

"His REAL name," Evy corrected.

"What is it?!" she demanded, raising her gun again.

"As though I'd tell _you_ ," she scoffed, "And even then it wouldn't help," she pointed up.

Vastra and Jen appeared on an upper level, the flask of venom in the basket between them, having been removed from the rocket.

Mrs. Gillyflower sneered, "Very well, then. If I can't take the world with me, you will have to do. Die, you freaks! Die! Die!" she turned her gun up at Jen and Vastra.

"Hold it!" a woman shouted.

They looked up to see Jenny and Strax looking down from the opening to the chimney, both with guns aimed at Mrs. Gillyflower.

"Put down your weapon, human female!" Strax ordered.

Mrs. Gillyflower fired up at them and Jenny fired back, striking the woman's hand, making her drop the gun. Strax opened fire as well, at the woman's feet, making her stumble back, losing her balance…falling down the chimney to the floor as Evy turned LJ away so he wouldn't see.

"Ouch!" the Doctor flinched, hearing the thud.

They all quickly turned and ran down the stairs to the bottom, watching as 'Mr. Sweet' let go of the woman and began to make his way away from her.

"No..." Mrs. Gillyflower gasped, "No! Mr. Sweet? Where are you going? You can't leave me now, Mr. Sweet."

"What's it doing?" Clara asked them quietly.

"It knows she's about to kick the bucket," Jack shrugged as he made his way down with Evy.

"She's no longer any use to it," the Doctor nodded.

"Mr. Sweet!" Mrs. Gillyflower called to it, before seeing Ada making her way down, "Ada? Ada…are you there?"

Ada nodded to herself and moved to her mother's side, "I'm here, mama."

"Forgive me, my child. Forgive me."

"Never," she whispered, shaking her head.

Her mother smirked, "That's...my...girl," she rasped, before she closed her eyes in death.

"What will you do with that thing?" Jen asked as she and Vastra arrived.

Evy shrugged, "We could always take it back to the Jurassic era."

"Could work," J nodded, "Keep it out of harm's way."

They looked over when they heard a thumping noise to see Ada had stumbled on Mr. Sweet...and was now bashing the leech to pieces with her cane, taking her revenge on the parasite that had destroyed her life and also ensuring it would _never_ do the same to another little girl again.

"On the other hand..." the Doctor rubbed his neck.

"Ohh," they heard someone sigh as Jenny ran in with Strax, her gun out, " _I_ wanted to finish the enemy," she pouted as Strax patted his fellow soldier on the back, understanding what it was like when the glory of victory was taken from you.

Clara just looked between her and the Doctor, "She's definitely your daughter too," the pouting _had_ to be hereditary.

~8~

Jenny stood beside J as they leaned on the TARDIS, watching as Jack explained his Vortex Manipulator to Clara a short distance away, the Doctor, Evy, and LJ speaking with Vastra and Jenny and Strax near a bridge as Ada joined them.

"Well that was an adventure," Jenny laughed, glancing at J as he just looked out, knowing he was watching Clara, making sure Jack didn't try to really 'say hello' to her.

"Mhmm," he hummed.

"We got to save mum and dad for once, that's new."

"Mhmm."

"It really is adorable you know," she looked at him, "You and Clara."

"Mhmm...what?" he looked at her, his eyes wide, "Me and Clara, there's...there's no me and Clara, we're just...we're not...I'm..."

"Completely flustered at the _mention_ of her," Jenny nudged him, "God Siggy do you know _how long_ River and I have been waiting for this?!" she'd admittedly only met River recently, but they'd bonded rather quickly and both of them had been dying to set J up with _someone_.

"I'm not..." he stuttered, "I wasn't...Jenny I..." he sighed, "I can't."

"Seriously," Jenny rolled her eyes, "I know why you keep so many girls at a distance. You told me remember?" her expression turned softer, "But Sigma..." she used his full name, letting him know she was being truly serious now, "Your Link _will_ forgive you if you happened to like someone before you even met them. Like mum did with dad."

He scoffed at that.

So she punched him in the arm for it.

"Ow," he pouted.

"Sigma your Link would want you to be _happy_ ," she insisted, "She'd want you to have had a happy life before her, to be loved and happy and not alone and anyone," she pointed a warning finger at him, " _Anyone_ who wants you to be miserable till they come along is NOT a good person Siggy and that person will NOT be your Link."

"You don't have any control over that JD," he reminded her, "It happens, you can't stop it."

"I mean they won't be a _romantic_ Link," she corrected, "That sort of person wouldn't have enough goodness in them to deserve you and would probably end up being your rival. Do YOU want a relationship like Dad and Uncle Terrin had where you fight each other constantly among the stars."

"He had an excuse," he mumbled.

"Or do you want your Link to be someone who can love you the way you need to be loved," she continued as though she hadn't heard him, "Your Link Siggy...she'd have to be incredible to be worthy of you," he smiled...till she punched him in the shoulder again, "And if you tell _anyone_ I said that I'll kill you."

"You really are mum's daughter aren't you?" he muttered.

She beamed, "But really Siggy, she would have wanted you to be _happy_."

"I AM happy JD," he insisted, but she gave him an eyebrow, not quite as bad as their mum's but still fairly powerful, "I am. Look, I've got you and River and mum and dad and Uncle Jack and all our family, I'm _not_ alone. I've got adventures and a future to look forward to and family, so I'm happy."

Jenny was silent, "That still doesn't check off loved."

He sighed, "I am loved, but it's a different love and..."

"But you can't love back with THAT sort of love."

"Yeah."

"Then you're going to have a bit of a problem with Clara," she remarked, "How exactly do you plan to turn off love?"

He blinked and looked at her, startled, "I don't love Clara!"

"You've got a crush on her though, admit it Siggy. And isn't a crush just the first stirrings of love?"

He sighed, rubbing his face, "JD..." he sighed again, "Alright, yes, I DO have a crush on her. Yes, I think she's brilliant and brave and...and beautiful. She's strong and caring and...remarkable," his words got quieter, "And just...amazing. But that's _all_ she can ever be, that's _all_ I can ever think of her or feel for her. I _can't_ love her JD. I won't do that to my Link."

"And I thought you were the smart one," Jenny grumbled, "Siggy...when mum found dad, when she first Linked to him, do you think she was bitter about all the women around him, or do you think she was just happy he wasn't _alone_?"

"That's different."

"How?" she crossed her arms, "Sigma...you don't even know if your Link is out there. What if, knock on wood," she knocked on the TARDIS, "She's not? What if it's just you...and you live on for _the_ _rest_ of your _lives_ never loving anyone? That will turn you into a bitter old cranky Time Lord."

"And what if I _do_ love someone?" he countered, "And they die. They'll just die, they _always_ die."

"Better a broken heart than no heart at all."

He scoffed.

She sighed, "So find an alien then. Find a race that has longevity, just find _someone_ Sigma. I don't..." she paused, taking a breath so as to gather herself, "We both know what's coming for River. We both know, eventually, she'll leave, you need to have someone there with you. An alien, a human, a robot, it doesn't matter just... _someone_ ," she glanced over, "Why can't it be Clara?"

He let out a breath as well, "She's dad's companion."

"Doesn't mean she can't be yours when she finally gets that inevitable earache," she joked.

"It can't be a human," he muttered, his gaze on Clara, looking almost like he was truly hurting to say it, "No humans...I can't..."

Jenny looked at him sadly, needing to bring something up, "Siggy...we both know that mum and dad are gonna look harder than _ever_ for any of our people, for _you_ ," she reached out and put a hand on his arm, "They're _still_ looking and...nothing," she reminded him, "We both know they can only look for TIME LORDS though. The TARDIS won't be able to find one using a Perception Filter or...or in a watch," she waited till he looked at her, "If your Link IS out there...what if she's locked in a watch? Hmmm?" she shook her head, "You'd have to get to know her, to build up trust enough to get her to open it. You'd have to woo a _human_ , be around one, forge some sort of relationship with her. Why should that be any different with other humans? You like Clara, why not..."

"I don't," he cut in, sounding insistent in that.

Jenny stared at him very much like she didn't believe him, not just because of how he acted around the woman, acted like she'd had NEVER seen or heard about him acting before, but because...it had sounded, just then, a bit _too_ firm, like he was trying to make himself believe it as well, "Oh really?"

"Really," he nodded, looking back over at Clara, watching as his younger-self waddled over to her, the woman beaming as she picked him up, "She was there. When I was a kid. Before I got old enough to realize what Rose had done to mum and dad's relationship, why it hadn't started earlier. She was there before I closed my hearts to other girls, before I was able to. She just...snuck in," he shook his head, "I haven't seen her for years JD, decades. Dad got another companion, like he always does, when I was just hitting that 'girls are gross' stage, but Clara had already been there. Seeing her again, now that I'm grown..." he sighed, "I can't help but feel...closer to her. She's the only woman besides you, Riv, the aunties, and mum that I let into my life. She couldn't be an auntie to me, mum and dad didn't trust her enough to treat her like one...she was just...the companion. The mystery. The Impossible Human Girl."

"So that's why you flirt with her then is it?" Jenny looked at him, "Because you'd flirt with any girl you feel comfortable around, and that's her?"

"I suppose," he shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck.

"That's a load of bullocks," Jenny muttered, shaking her head, all she heard were words, words words, just one excuse after another.

And one day it would come back to bite him.

She'd seen him be all flirty with River, in a playful/platonic way, she'd even seen him flirt with a few other girls once he was sure they were _not_ and never ever would be interested in him or in danger of falling in love with him as he claimed 'of course they would, they do for dad.' His ego was just as big as their father's it seemed, he thought, because he was the son of the man everyone fell in love with, that everyone would fall in love with him too. But once he was sure the flirting wouldn't hurt or give the wrong message, he flirted yeah.

But she'd _never_ seen him flirt the way he had with Clara. It was always a joking flirt. But with HER...it was almost...genuine. She knew LJ had a crush on Clara, she could see it in J too, he really DID like Clara, he really did have a crush on her. But sadly her brother was too much of a dunce like their father to even think of trying to see where it might go.

"Because I'm waiting for my Link," he cut in, sensing her thoughts.

She rolled her eyes, "And I'm telling you Siggy, your Link would want to find out you'd been happy at least once in your life. It wouldn't matter if you liked someone else, before you met her, she'd just want you to be happy and this..." she gestured at him, "This is NOT happy."

He sighed, rubbing his eyes, he'd never hear the end of this. When River and Jenny got started, _all_ they did was hound him about trying to get to know other girls, trying to go on dates, kiss one of them...he always refused. It was just...

"It's too hard," he whispered, "I _know_ she'd want me to be happy. But at the same time...I don't want to hurt her. So please, Jenny," he used her name, it must be serious, "Just...leave it."

Jenny sighed, but nodded, she knew it was always hard for him to even _talk_ about his Link. She knew, despite being hopeful, that he WAS worried she might not be out there. And he DID want to be happy...he just...wanted to be happy with his Link.

They looked over to see Jack give Clara a salute, before he disappeared in a flash of light, teleporting back to Earth, to his time, with a one shot teleport. The Doctor had soniced his Vortex Manipulator which he'd found that J had fixed for the man, to get him back and then shut down, which had made Jack pout.

"Well that was an adventure," Clara smiled at them as she walked over to them, holding LJ as he just laid his head on her shoulder.

"My thoughts exactly," Jenny laughed.

"Yeah," J nodded, quiet.

Clara looked at him, just knowing something was wrong, "Are you ok?"

The Doctor, nor LJ, were ever _that_ quiet.

He smiled at the concern in her eyes, "Yeah," he repeated, "Just...better get back soon, the exams will be over soon and Riv'll kill me if she finds out I snuck around with her VM," he held up his wrist, "And had an adventure without her."

"I should get back too," Jenny nodded, "I was in the middle of peace negotiations J," she shot him a look, "Had to put the Judoon on hold," she winced, "They're probably still standing there waiting for me to come back. Bye Clara!" she smiled, hugging the girl quickly, "Gotta go!" she rushed off to her parents, saying goodbye to them and offering them the codes to her ship so they could contact her whenever they wanted before she had to teleport out.

"Well," Clara looked back at J, not sure what to say, "Good luck with your friend."

"Thanks," he nodded, looking at her as he looked at him...before he reached out and just gave her a hug goodbye, like Jenny had, completely like Jenny had, one that did NOT last a bit longer than necessary, nor was it a bit tighter than Jenny's hug had been.

Not at all.

Nope.

They pulled apart suddenly though when they heard Jenny squealing, looking over to see the Doctor and Evy had given her a sonic of her own, fashioned after her mother's with a light purple light though. She was _thrilled_.

"Take that J!" Jenny beamed at him, holding up her _working_ sonic triumphantly before she slapped her teleporter and went back to her ship.

J laughed, "Bye Clar," he smiled at her.

"Not really," she nodded at the mini-him in her arms.

He nodded, looking at his parents giving them a nod and wink before he teleported away, not really wanting to be around Links at the moment.

"Right, London," the Doctor called as Clara turned around to face them, seeing them walking over to her by the TARDIS, "We were heading for London, weren't we?"

"Was there any particular reason?" Clara wondered.

"No," the Doctor answered a bit fast, "No. Just thought you might...like it."

"Yeah," she rolled her eyes, "Maybe had enough Victorian values for a bit," before she headed into the TARDIS.

"Bosh!" LJ called.

"Ohh listen to that," the Doctor laughed, taking LJ from Clara, allowing her to head into the TARDIS, "Apparently Clara's the boss," he told Evy.

"Am I?" Clara leaned out, hearing that.

"Just get in," Evy smiled at her.

Clara shrugged and head it, winking at LJ for his calling her the boss.

"Now, Ada," the Doctor turned as they headed over to her, "We'd love to stay and clear up the mess, but..."

"I know, dear monster, you and dolly have things to do," Ada finished for him.

"Will you be ok Ada?" Evy asked her.

"Oh, there are many things a bright young lady can do to occupy her time. It's time I stepped out of the darkness and into the light."

"Good luck, Ada," the Doctor smiled, "You know, I think you'll be just...splendid," he squeezed her shoulder and looked at Vastra, Strax, and Jen, "Well, thanks a million, you three, as ever. Have some Pontefract cakes on me. I love Pontefract cakes!"

"Oh did you _have_ to?" Evy groaned as LJ started babbling about cakes, his sweet tooth acting up again. She sighed and looked at the trio, "We'll see you later," and headed for the TARDIS.

"But that girl," Jen stepped after them, "Clara," and they stopped, "You haven't explained."

"No," the Doctor agreed with a smile, "We haven't," before they stepped back into the TARDIS and rushed to the console, pulling a lever to send them into the Vortex.

Evy laughed, "Here," and handed LJ to the Doctor, "Come on Clara, let's get you out of that monstrosity," she gestured at the dress.

"Oh thank God," Clara breathed, "This corset is _really_ irritating," she tugged on it, it was fine to walk in, but all the running they had done had done a number to her.

Evy nodded and led her down the halls, knowing she'd need help with the bustle and corset and that it wouldn't do for Clara to end up in the Maitland home still dressed for Victorian times, that might raise questions.

She glanced at Clara to see a soft smile had come to her face, "What is it?"

Clara glanced at her and blushed a bit, "He thinks I'm pretty."

Evy smiled at that, awww, Clara had a crush on her son as well, her OLDER son at least. She supposed it made sense though, nearly everyone fell in love with the Doctor upon meeting him, except really Donna and Clara, so it was fitting that Clara had a bit of a crush on the Doctor's son, he was just as much a charmer and handsome, brilliant and dashing as an adult as he was as a child, and just as much as his father. It was odd though…normally she'd have an issue with LJ, or J, forming any sort of crush or feelings like that with a human, knowing how the end would come for them, how they…decayed and died as the Doctor had once described it. But…it was just a crush and LJ was too young and J only saw Clara once in a while.

Everything would be fine.

~8~

Clara smiled as she entered the Maitland home and checked herself in the mirror, still beaming from J calling her pretty, and the words younger LJ had used, "The boss, yep, that's me!" she moved into the house, to the kitchen where she tapped one of Artie's action figure Transformer robots, "I am the boss," she made it say.

But then she noticed something on Angie's laptop that was sitting open on the kitchen table…pictures...of _her_. She frowned and moved to sit before it, seeing herself on the Soviet sub with the Doctor and Evy and LJ, and another of them at Caliburn house.

"It's you, isn't it?" Angie called as she and Artie came up behind her, "It's from the 70s, but it's definitely you."

"Of course it's not," she shook her head.

"And that's you too, from 1983," Artie showed her the house photo, "I found it at school."

"No, it's just someone who _looks_ like me."

"And that's someone that looks like your boyfriend?"

"He's _not_ my boyfriend," Clara stated firmly, feeling something strike in her at someone calling the Doctor that, "He's married with a baby," well she wasn't really sure if they were married, but they did call themselves husband and wife on a few adventures and there was that Linking thing...she really _did_ have to ask what exactly that was.

"Are they aliens?" Artie asked.

"Why would they be aliens?" Angie asked him.

"The chin," he pointed, "That thing in the holster," he pointed to the sonic in Evy's photo.

" _And_ the time travel?" Angie added, clicking on a picture of Clara in Victorian London, dressed as a governess.

"That's not right," Clara leaned in.

"You were in Victorian London."

"No, I was in Victorian Yorkshire," and then her eyes widened, realizing what she'd just said.

Angie smiled, "How come you didn't tell us?"

"Time travel, that's so cool!" Artie cheered.

"Can we have a go?"

"Can you have a what?!" Clara looked at them.

"We want a shot at the time machine!" Artie told her.

"No, no, no! Listen..."

"Ok, or we'll have to tell dad that our nanny's a time traveler!" Angie crossed her arms.

Clara sighed, caught.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think it's even worse for J in how he's such a flirty person normally but pulls back a hit here. It doesn't really bother him when other girls like him and he doesn't like them, he has no problems there in keeping them away or acting uninterested, he's fine and dandy. But...for him to actually LIKE another girl, I mean really and genuinely feel something (even if it's a crush) and force himself to push her away, force himself to not do anything about it...that's got to be even worse. Because, if he doesn't find his Link...then he's missed out on love :( I hope Clara's little developing crush on J (NOT LJ) is believable as well. I mean, he IS the Doctor's son and almost everyone who meets him falls in love with him, and now he's not just the Doctor's child but Evy's so he's got a double whammy of charm and looks. But I CAN say that Clara will NOT be pulling a Rose (like I've had Rose do in some other stories) where she comes between a relationship just because she likes him too. There will be a sort of big moment for Clara in the next chapter where she finds out about the Link and what Linking is and what it means for J in the future :)
> 
> I hope the sibling bonding moment was good though, I tried to make it a blend of 'you're my sibling and I love you and I'll be there for you and want what's best for you' and 'But if you tell anyone that I actually love you and can be nice to you I'll kill you' :) Just based on some conversations I've had with my siblings during their 'break ups' and other 'teenage issues' :) Lol, Jenny got a sonic too :) I would LOVE a purple sonic screwdriver :)
> 
> I also hope you liked J and his epic speech. I really enjoyed writing this chapter just to give a different perspective and side to J, we always see him so confident I just wanted to picture him flirting and flustered and sweet :) Lol, I think I might have a crush on him now too :)
> 
> Next chapter...what will happen when Evy is left in charge? What role will LJ have in the comical castle? And...how will Clara react when she finds out what Linking is?


	26. Nightmare in Silver (Part 1)

Evy smiled as she watched LJ stand at the doors to the TARDIS as the Doctor set the box down, he'd been sitting off to the side in a small area they'd had his toys and, as soon as it was still, had pushed himself up and waddled/ran to the doors. Of course, he WOULD be excited for this trip, they were going to an amusement park! The biggest one in the Universe apparently. The perfect place to take some children for the day.

Clara had _begged_ them to take them somewhere for children as, apparently, Angie and Artie had discovered Clara's secret life as a time traveler and demanded a trip or else they'd tell their father. Evy had just whistled and said she was impressed with the kids and their cunning plot there...only for Clara to turn her own eyebrow of doom at her. Which had only made her laugh, especially when it ended up making the Doctor run to the console to set the course instead. They'd both laughed at that, LJ giggling at how his daddy was so silly.

So there they were. She had to smile though, LJ was getting so big and, while he was heavier, she also didn't want to put him down, because, putting him down, letting him walk as he'd gotten better at it, made her feel like one day soon, he'd...walk away, walk out the doors to Luna University to meet River and start his life without them. And that was sad. She knew it was something every mother must feel, when their little boy (or girl) started to grow up and do things on their own. And it hurt, but, being a Time Lady, she knew they had all the time in the world...literally...and she had seen it in J, when they ran into him, how he acted around her and the Doctor, so close and so happy. Her little boy, no matter how old he got, would always be in their lives, he'd always visit and say hello and pop up and hug them...and actually let her kiss his cheek instead of wiping it away it seemed.

She had to wonder though if he'd ever consider a bow-tie though.

She moved to the doors and unlocked them, seeing LJ trying to jump for the lock...not quite THAT big yet...and pulled them open, LJ stepping out, making his way cautiously onto what looked like the moon. The American flag was there, Earth floating in the distance, hanging in the darkness of a starless space.

The Doctor wound his arm around her as they watched him waddle out and plop down in the dust and start playing in it. Evy had to face-palm and shake her head when LJ tried to eat the dust and grimace, spitting it out, much like the Doctor had on San Helios.

"Yuck!" the boy pouted, the Doctor laughing as he went over and plopped down beside his son.

"Oh don't do that…" she begged as the Doctor dabbed the dust on his tongue as well, tasting it and grimacing as well.

' _Doesn't taste like the moon,_ ' he affirmed.

She rolled her eyes, ' _Because it's the Spacey Zoomer ride,_ ' she reminded him, ' _It's not supposed to taste like the moon._ '

He pouted, ' _I thought they'd go for more authenticity._ '

' _How?_ ' she chuckled quietly, moving over to him, running a hand through his hair, ' _By importing moon dust?_ '

He shrugged, ' _At least it's authentic now._ '

' _How's that?_ '

He just smiled up at her and took her hand, pulling her down, right onto his lap, as he wound his arm around her, ' _There's a moon on the moon._ '

She shook her head at him, she should have known he'd bring up her name given it meant 'moon,' but smiled, kissing him…

"Yuck!" LJ shouted, tossing a handful of dust at them, making them laugh and pull away, he seemed to have moved past 'ick' and onto 'yuck.'

"Where are we?" Clara asked, looking around, actually a bit let down with the sight.

"Hedgewick's World," the Doctor introduced, "The biggest and best amusement park there will _ever_ be and we've got a golden ticket!" he reached over and took LJ, setting him on Evy's lap on his lap, "Eh, eh?" he tickled LJ, making the boy laugh and squirm.

"Fun!" LJ cheered.

"Fun?" Clara laughed, watching as LJ wiggled out of his father's hold and waddle-ran over to her, hugging her legs.

"Clara fun!" he squeezed her.

"Aw thanks little guy," she smiled, reaching down to run her fingers through his hair, not quite sure if he was telling her they'd HAVE fun or that SHE was fun, but either way it adorable. She shook her head, she couldn't help but think of another him that was rather adorable too.

"Your stupid box can't even get us to the right place," Angie huffed as she and Artie followed Clara out of the TARDIS, "This is, like, a moon base or something."

"It's not the moon," Evy told them, watching as Clara picked LJ up and sat down on a 'rock' with him on her lap.

"Actually, I think it _does_ look like the moon," Artie nodded, "Only dirtier."

"Hey, guys," the Doctor called, squeezing Evy, "It's not the moon, ok? It's a Spacey Zoomer ride."

"What's left of it," Evy looked around, it did seem rather run down didn't it?

They all looked over as they heard a door open and saw one in the rocks that made up the side of the moon crack open, a man peeking out at them, a hallway behind him, "Psst! 'Scuse I...I don't suppose you happen to be my lift off planet? Dave's Discount Interstellar Removals?"

"'Fraid not," Clara shook her head.

"They were meant to be here six months ago," he lamented, "That's Dave for you, see, unreliable."

"Stay where you are!" a woman yelled behind them.

"Oops," the man quickly fled back inside, shutting the door just as a group of soldiers dashed into the area, their guns out. Evy and the Doctor were on their feet in an instant, Clara backing up with LJ to keep him safe behind them.

"Throw down your weapons and identify yourselves!" a woman with blonde hair and bright red lipstick ordered them.

"Angie, Artie," Clara called, ushering the children behind her as the Doctor pulled out a golden ticket.

"No!" he held it up, "No weapons! Golden ticket! Spacey Zoomer?" he bounced up and down, "Free ice cream?"

Evy sighed and whacked him in the back of the head.

"Ow!"

"You're talking about ice cream when a small army has a gun pointed at our son," she reminded him.

"Right…" he winced, glancing back at LJ who was trying to peer around at the soldiers from behind Clara's legs, though the girl was doing all she could to keep him back.

"Who are you?" the soldier demanded, "This planet is closed, by Imperial order."

"How's this?" the Doctor held up the psychic paper to Evy for her to read.

She shrugged, nodding, "Good enough," she agreed.

He beamed and turned it to the soldier, letting her read it, "Oh," her eyes widened, "Welcome, Proconsul. I wish they'd told us you and your family were coming. Any news of the Emperor?"

"Oh, the Emperor..." he went along with it, "No, no, none that you'd, er..."

"We pray for his return. If there is anything you need, my platoon is at your service."

"Right! Righty-oh. Well, we'll just…"

Evy rolled her eyes and put a hand over his mouth, "Carry on, captain," she called, the Doctor saluting the woman despite the hand over his mouth.

The captain eyed them oddly before saluting them in return and turning to her squad, "Platoon, let's move out. On the double. Two, three, four! Two, three, four! Two, three, four!"

They watched as the soldiers jogged out…quite a different method than the marching they were sure the captain had been aiming for.

And then Evy squealed, "Doctor!" she huffed, rubbing her hand on her pants, "Again? _Really_?"

He just smirked at her, "You smack me, I lick your hand," he shrugged, draping his arm around her shoulders, "It's out 'thing.' That's what they call it right? A thing?"

"Have they gone?" a voice called softly behind them. They turned to see the man sticking his head out the door again.

"Yes," the Doctor nodded.

"Uniforms give me the heebie-jeebies," the man shuddered, before opening the door and gesturing them in, "Come on. They can't stop me being here, but they don't like it."

The Time Lords glanced at each other before shrugging and following the man, LJ waddle-running to their side and taking their hands as he walked between them, the man was walking at a slow enough pace where the boy could easily catch up, though Evy had noticed he tended to walk rather fast as it was. She could only imagine how much of a runner the boy would come to be in the future.

They followed the man to another doorway, more like a warehouse opening, to see the planet before them, "Ha, ha!" the Doctor grinned, "You see? I told you it was amazing!"

"It used to be at least," Evy eyed it. It was basically like a large amusement park…in ruins. Angie and Artie stared out at it in awe despite that though.

"It closed down," the man sighed, "Wish I'd known that before I landed here. But let me show you my collection. Come along, follow me," he turned to lead them off again, "This way. This way in, come on. Welcome to my show..."

Evy smiled as she saw Angie roll her eyes at the man as they followed him down a flight of stairs, the Doctor picking LJ up and setting him down at the bottom, right into a slightly dark room with eerie lighting, mannequins set up all over the place with odd drapes, sofas in the middle of the room, wax statues, and other odds and ends.

"Webley's World of Wonders!" the man began, "Miracles, marvels and more await you. I am impresario Webley," he grinned, watching as Angie and Artie headed down more steps into the main room, looking around in wonder at all the statues, the Doctor, Evy, Clara following with LJ, "You see before you waxwork representations of the famous...and the infamous. Anybody here play chess?"

The Doctor raised his hand, LJ looking up at him before raising his own, which made Evy laugh as the boy hadn't played chess yet. Knew how to from them, yes, but hadn't played an actual game yet. As soon as she was sure he wouldn't try to chew or eat the pieces, THEN she'd think about getting him a little chess set.

"Perhaps you, young man?" Webley turned to Artie.

"Actually, I'm in my school chess club," Artie smiled.

The Doctor pouted and lowered his hand, till he felt a tug on his pant leg and looked down to see LJ pouting up at him, mimicking him. Evy smiled at that and turned the Doctor's head back to her, kissing him before she knelt down and dropped a kiss on LJ's head, making the boy squirm and try to brush it off, "That's what you get when you pout dear," she laughed, tapping the boy's nose...only for him to tap hers back, making her beam at him and him laugh, the Doctor just smiling softly as he watched his little family.

"Ah, follow me," Webley grinned, leading them to a back room, the Doctor laughing as LJ tugged him on, excited to see what the man's surprise was.

They stepped into a room with a chessboard in the center, one empty chair across from a drape-covered thing.

"Now, let me demonstrate to you all the wonder of the age, the miracle of modernity," Webley began, moving closer to the covered thing, "We defeated them all, a thousand years ago. But now he's back, to destroy you. Behold! The enemy!" he pulled the drape off the thing with a flourish to reveal a Cyberman!

"Cyberman!" the Doctor gasped, "Get down!"

He dropped to the floor, pulling LJ closer, shielding the boy as Evy pulled Clara and the children down, the Cyberman lifting its head…

And just...sitting...there.

"No need to panic, my young friends," Webley chuckled, "We all know there are no more living Cybermen," he gestured for them to get up and they slowly rose, though the Doctor kept LJ in his arms, not trusting the hunk of metal _at all_ , "What you are seeing is a miracle, the 699th wonder of the universe. As displayed before the Imperial court, and only here to destroy you…at chess! Careful now. An empty shell. And yet it moves. How?"

The Doctor carefully made his way around the Cyberman, LJ in his arms, flashing his sonic at the metal man while Evy made her way around the room with her own sonic, Clara watching them tensely, clearly seeing that they thought there was a danger there.

"Magic," Angie answered sarcastically.

Webley didn't seem to notice though as he grinned, "That might well be, young lady. A single penny wins you five Imperial shillings if you can beat this empty shell at chess."

Evy frowned, seeing two small bugs on a table, flashing them with the sonic, picking up a small transmission to the Cyberman.

' _It's broadcasting visual,_ ' she called to the Doctor as he leaned closer to rest on the table, watching.

"I haven't got a penny," Artie offered, "But I've got a sandwich," he held it up to Webley.

The man eyed it, before nodding, "Alright, take a seat."

Clara pulled out the chair for Artie, her eye on the Cyberman as well as the boy sat.

Webley grinned and opened a panel underneath the board to show them nothing there, "It is free of all devices, and yet it has _never_ been beaten. Would you like to make the first move, young man?"

Artie went to move his pawn, watching, amused, as the Cyberman jerked to make its own move, grinning as he went to make his second…

"Oh, no, Artie," the Doctor called, "No, don't do that, it...it's a fool's mate."

The Cyberman checkmated him, making the boy sigh.

"If you can tell me how it works," Webley commented, eating half the sandwich, "I'll give you a silver penny."

"I think...you do it with mirrors?" Angie guessed, actually stumped.

"Very close," Evy nodded, walking over, "Camera lenses, no matter how small, have a quality of mirrors about them," she flashed her sonic at the Cyber, the Doctor smiling as he watched her work, "Lower tech than normal, so it's a hollowed out suit, a puppet. Monofilament strings means that the one with the controller is…" she popped open a panel under the Cyberman's chair to reveal a rather small man with a remote control.

"Hello," the Doctor grinned.

"Hello," the man replied, "I'm the controller."

"Hi!" LJ cheered, waving both hands.

"Give us a hand?" the man held one out. Evy walked around and helped pull him out from where he'd been wedged inside, "They call me Porridge. Ah, it's good to be out of that box."

"For you, Miss..." Webley turned to Angie and 'pulled' a coin from her ear, "An Imperial penny."

Evy's gaze drifted off to the side, spotting more of the little robotic bugs crawling on the walls before Webley led everyone out of the room, "I have not one but THREE Cybermen in my collection!" he cheered, pulling a drape off another two Cybermen.

The Doctor moved to one, scanning it, grinning as he let LJ help him, Evy scanning the other.

"Is that the king?" Angie called, seeing a large replica in wax of a man in a crown and royal-looking regalia.

" _Emperor_ ," Porridge remarked, "Ludens Nimrod Kendrick, etc, etc, the 41st, defender of humanity, imperator of known space."

"He looks a bit full of himself," Clara eyed it.

Porridge frowned at her, "Don't say things like that about the Imperial family, you can end up on the run for the rest of your life."

"Lovely," Evy rolled her eyes, "More people who want to kill us."

The Doctor smiled, "More fun that way."

"They don't sound very nice," Artie had to agree.

"Go on," Porridge laughed, "If the kids want to ride the Spacey Zoomer, then I can operate the gravity console."

Clara smiled and hugged Artie to her side as they walked out with Porridge, Evy and the Doctor following with LJ, "Angie!" the Doctor called as she stood before the wax work king and compared it to the coin.

Angie huffed and turned to go after them.

~8~

The Evy watched, between scanning around with her sonic, with Clara as the kids…and the Doctor…jumped up and down on the Spacey Zoomer ride, the Doctor with LJ in his arms. The boy was too young to ride it himself but wanted desperately to do so. So, of course, the Doctor had volunteered to take him, being just as much a child as his son was.

"Whoa!" Artie bounced.

"Smile!" Clara laughed taking photos on her phone, "Say, 'Spacey Zoomer!'"

"We're flying!"

"Having a good time eh?" the Doctor looked at them, when Porridge slowly turned off the anti-gravs and they gently fell back to the ground.

"I think that was the most fun I've had in my whole life!"

"It was...ok," Angie admitted.

The Doctor make a little face at Angie's reaction, till LJ tugged his bow-tie, "Fun! Fun! Agin!"

He laughed and ruffled LJ's hair, "Maybe later boyo," before he headed over to Evy as she soniced the area.

"Clara?" Artie walked over to her, "I think outer space is actually very interesting!"

Clara smiled at that, "Right, wonderful day out," she nodded, leading the children to the TARDIS, "But it's time to get the kids home," she looked over to see Evy showing the Doctor something on her sonic, "Doctor?"

"Yeah," he spun around, "Um, no. Not actually ready to leave."

"Why not?"

"I dunno. Reasons."

Evy rolled her eyes at that as Clara crossed her arms, looking an inch away from using her eyebrow, "What reasons?"

"Insects. Funny insects. I should add them to my funny insect collection."

"You collect funny insects?" she shook her head and looked at Evy, "He collects funny insects?"

_Can I have some funny insects mummy?_ LJ looked up at her, reaching for her as she took him from the Doctor, slipping her sonic back into its holster.

"I think LJ just might," she sighed, turning to head back in, whacking the Doctor on the head for that as she passed.

~8~

LJ was practically bouncing in the Evy's arms later that day, Artie and Angie tired and lying on the sofas of Webley's room, blankets covering them. Evy was glowering subtly at the Doctor who was rubbing the back of his head. She'd walked in from quietly speaking with Clara in the hall, wanting to make her aware of the threat that might be there, knowing how someone with children would react to knowledge of a danger being kept from them, only to see him and LJ chewing on licorice, and she knew LJ was _twice_ as bad as the Doctor when he got sweets in him. The boy was even more hyper than he normally was just being the Doctor's son.

She'd hit the Doctor for it.

Twice.

"How long do we have to stay here?" Angie moaned as Clara tucked Artie in, Porridge bringing him a glass of water.

"Not long," the Doctor answered, "Have a nap. I'll wake you when we're ready to leave," he turned to go, turning the lights off as he passed, giving Evy a wide breadth in the process.

"Comfy?" Porridge looked at Angie, who just rolled her eyes and flopped on the sofa.

"Sleep well," Clara smiled at them, heading out.

"Good night," Porridge nodded.

"Sweet dreams," Evy added, leaving with LJ…

Who was grabbed out her arms by the Doctor as he jumped back into the room.

"Boo!" LJ shouted, startling the kids as she face palmed and shook her head. Yup, the Doctor's son, no questions.

"Don't wander off," the Doctor stressed, holding the sonic to his chin as it cast an eerie light on his face, "I'm not just saying, 'Don't wander off,' I MEAN it. Otherwise you'll wander off, and the next thing you know, somebody's going to have to start rescuing somebody…"

"From what?" Angie asked.

"Nothing," Evy said as she walked in, turning to walk around the Doctor and push him out of the room, "Nobody needs rescuing from anything."

"Don't wander off!" he called as he was pushed out of the room entirely, "What?"

"It's just like you and the face spiders all over again," she muttered, taking LJ and heading off down the hall.

~8~

Evy had calmed down quite a bit, thanks to the Doctor's apology, basically handing LJ to Clara to watch for a moment as he pulled her into a cupboard. The two of them emerged quite a while later with wide smiles on their faces, the Doctor with his arms around her waist, one thing could be said, he certainly knew how to make his Link happy again.

She was now currently helping him scan around a large terminal, their sonics whirring as they searched for anything that didn't belong. They glanced over from time to time to see LJ walking beside Clara, the girl holding his hand. It was rather sweet to see, the boy looking up at her, with an adorable look in his eyes, oh the first crush, so sweet. It was odd though, they'd left LJ a bundle of energy when they'd entered the cupboard, and when they'd come out he'd been calm, settled in Clara's arms, playing with her hair instead of tugging it, looping it around his fingers, curling it…and then he'd tried to eat it, which she'd stopped of course.

They were immensely thankful Clara seemed to have that sort of effect on LJ, the boy needed calming at times.

"Was this really the biggest amusement park in the Universe?" Clara looked at Porridge as the man walked beside her along a ride track in the terminal.

"Yeah," he sighed, "Hedgewick bought the planet cheap. It'd been trashed in the Cyber-Wars."

"Who were we fighting?"

"Cybermen."

"Bad!" LJ called, pouting.

"The worst," Porridge agreed, "Technologically upgraded warriors. We couldn't win. Sometimes we fought to a draw, but then they'd upgrade themselves, fix their weaknesses and destroy us. It's hard to fight an enemy that uses your armies as spare parts."

"You beat them, though, beat them or you wouldn't be here," Clara reasoned, "How?"

"Look up there," he pointed up as they stopped at the edge of the terminal, "That corner of the sky. What do you see?"

She squinted, looking at a black spot in the sky, a rather large one, with a ring of blue around it, "Nothing. It's just black. No stars, no nothing."

"LJ!" Evy called, winking, "Why don't you tell her what it is."

Clara blinked and looked at LJ, stunned.

"Tibian Gxy!" the boy tried to say, before huffing and popping himself down with a pout, crossing his little arms and legs when he failed to pronounce it correctly.

Clara laughed at that adorable pout, he was SO the Doctor's son, and sat next to him, not caring about the dirt on the ground or how her skirt would get soiled, she reached out and picked up the boy, startling him a moment, before she deposited him on her lap, making him beam up at her.

"He's close," Porridge smiled at Clara, the girl now at his height, smiling at how good she was with the baby, "Used to be the _Tiberion Spiral Galaxy_. A million star systems. A hundred million worlds. A billion trillion people. It's not there anymore. No more Tiberion galaxy. No more Cybermen. It was effective."

"It's horrible," Clara wound her arms around LJ, hugging him a bit as the boy rested his arms on hers, trying to hug her back and comfort her.

"Yeah. I feel like a monster sometimes."

"Why?"

"Because instead of mourning a billion trillion dead people, I just feel sorry for the poor blighter who had to press the button and blow it all up."

The Doctor frowned as he looked out through an empty shell of something, "Clara! Did you tell Angie she could go to the barracks?"

"You KNOW I didn't," she shook her head, before sighing, "She hasn't..."

"She has," Evy nodded, pointing, "She's there right now."

"Come on," Clara stood, scooping LJ into her arms.

~8~

"So, tell me about the little bloke," the captain of the guard was speaking to Angie as she led the girl around the barracks, the girl with a cup in her hand.

"Well, you must have seen him," Angie shrugged just as the others ran in.

"Angie!" Clara called, rushing over to her, "Angie!"

"She has to turn up and spoil everything! I wasn't _doing_ anything! Why can't you just leave me alone?!"

Before anyone could answer there was a boom behind them as the doors were thrown off their hinges, a Cyberman standing there!

"Cyberman!" the captain yelled.

"Clara take him!" Evy quickly handed LJ to Clara, moving in front of her with the Doctor to protect their son, their sonics out, ready to stop the robot as the platoon scrambled to get weapons, using tables as cover, firing whatever they could at it.

"Angie!" the Doctor shouted, motioning for her to get behind Clara.

"Attack formation!" the captain tried to get control of her squad as the Cyberman strode forward, only for one of the larger soldiers to attack it without a weapon, "No!" she grabbed a gun off another soldier as they ducked down behind the tables, "Attack formation, quickly!"

They fired at the Cyberman, managing to land a single hit, only making it pause, "Upgrade in progress!" it began as the Time Lords tried to sonic it.

"Angie!" Clara turned, reaching for the girl…but the Cyberman moved too quickly, a blur really, grabbing Angie over its shoulder and striding off as she screamed, "Angie!" she made to run after the girl but Evy pulled her back.

"Clara," Evy called, tugging her to stop her, "Clara..."

"That was a Cyberman!" the captain gasped, "But they're extinct," she walked into the middle of the room.

"Clara listen to me," Evy told her, "I promise you, we'll get her back…"

"No," the Doctor cut in, "I'LL get her back."

Evy turned to him, her hands on her hips as she lifted an eyebrow at him, "Excuse me?"

"Eves…"

"Shall we go over what happened the last time you went anywhere alone? The Daleks mutinied, a Pyrovile chased you, you nearly…"

She was cut off suddenly by the Doctor's lips on hers, "Please," he whispered as he pulled away, resting his forehead to hers as he held her hands, "I need you to stay here, with LJ, I need to know you're safe when I face them, I won't be able to focus knowing LJ's here without one of us and I can't focus if you're both there with me, at their mercy."

She sighed, nodding, "You come back to us in one piece or I'll…"

"Kill me, I know."

"NO," she shook her head, "I will _never_ kiss you again."

His eyes widened, "Come back alive, no problem," he crossed his hearts, grinning before spinning around and snapping his fingers, "Captain," he pointed at her, gesturing her over, "A word, please. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but I take it your platoon doesn't do much fighting?"

"What do you expect?" she scoffed.

"What?" Clara asked, frowning as she bobbed LJ, the boy not seeming alarmed at all that another child had been kidnapped, though she could tell by the look on his face, he trusted his daddy to get them back.

"We're a punishment platoon," the captain huffed, "It's why they sent us out here, so we can't get into trouble."

"Ah, right, right, well, ok. As Imperial Consul," he pulled a badge off the captain's uniform and stuck it to Evy's jacket, "I am putting Evy in charge. Eves," he smiled at her, "Stay alive until I get back, or _I'll_ kill _you_ ," he told her, "And keep LJ and Clara alive too."

"Was planning to," she nodded, "Well, that and not letting them blow up the planet."

He snapped his fingers and walked away as Clara gaped, staring at Evy, "Is that something they're likely to do?"

"Get to somewhere defensible!" the Doctor called.

"Already on it dear," Evy shouted back, "I'm not you!"

"Where's he going?" Clara asked.

"To get Angie, find Artie, and…"

"Bugs!" LJ called.

"And look for funny insects," Evy sighed, running a hand through LJ's hair, smiling at how it stuck up, "Right then, everyone," she called, "Don't you DARE blow this planet up with my son and Link still on it, understood?"

~8~

Evy was sitting on a table, LJ on her lap with a small plate and chopped up apples on it, letting the boy munch on it, ever since she'd learned she liked apples, she always kept one in her pockets for just such an occasion.

Clara laughed as the boy bit into one, getting juice all over his face, "Come here you," she leaned over with a small napkin and wiped his face off, which made Evy laugh at that.

"He is JUST like his father," Evy smiled fondly at him, running her fingers though his hair as he beamed up at her for the clear compliment.

Clara watched the mother and son interact a moment, before she moved to sit beside Evy at the table, "Evy…can I ask you something?"

Evy looked over at her, "Of course."

"What's…Linking like?"

She'd been curious since they first called each other 'Links,' managed to get a bit out of them. But all she really knew was that it was something that just happened, that connected you to another Time Lord, and meant they were compatible...and that they were seen as married to most other species in the Universe.

"It's…" Evy let out a breath, smiling, "The most incredible feeling in the Universe. You can feel everything your Link feels, you can hear everything they're thinking, and you know everything about them. Like…whenever the Doctor holds LJ or thinks about him, or about me, I can literally FEEL how happy he is. When he kisses me I can feel how much he loves me. And I can see it in his mind how much he thinks about the both of us. It's like…being so connected to another person that you can't imagine life without them. There are drawbacks, there always are, I can feel when he's in pain and…if he dies…" she trailed off before sighing, knowing she was also asking a bit because of what she'd said to the TARDIS when they'd tried to save the Doctor at Caliburn House, "It's like a living hell for me, it's like a crippling pain that reminds you _every waking moment_ that the person who will always be there for you…isn't."

"I'm sorry," Clara murmured, apologizing for bringing it up.

"But Clara, it is the most _wonderful_ thing I have _ever_ experienced. Well, second most wonderful," she looked down at LJ, he was number one, "It's all about understanding the other person, it's about knowing that, no matter what, no matter how much you might change or what you might do there will _always_ be someone there who understands you, someone who will always be there for you, through thick and thin, never ever leaving you alone when you need them," she smiled softly, "Its someone who will always find you when you lose yourself and bring you home."

Clara smiled at that, "It sounds wonderful."

"It is," her smiled turned sad again.

"What is it?" she asked, reaching out to take Evy's hand.

"LJ," she set the baby down, "Why don't you go play with Porridge?" she suggested as the boy shrugged and waddled over to where the man was standing, just keeping to himself, seeming to be sorting out some rope and strings.

"Evy?" Clara frowned, she'd never seen the woman send LJ off to someone they didn't really know, it _had_ to be serious.

"LJ…he'll never get to experience that."

"Why not?" Clara asked.

"There was a war Clara," she sighed, rubbing her head, "Worse than even the Cyber-Wars. Our people were fighting a terrible enemy called the Daleks and it changed us, it changed so many of us, made us ruthless and bloodthirsty and cruel…and it was reaching a point where our people were willing to wipe out the Universe just to survive, to be the victors."

"What happened?"

Clearly it hadn't happened otherwise she wouldn't be there.

"The Doctor stopped them, with help from my family," she explained, "My brother had fallen in battle, or so they believed, and I was recalled as the last of my family line, the last of the patriarch's line. I sat in on the council meetings when our President declared we should use the Ultimate Sanction, wipe out all life in the Universe and become creatures of consciousness as the _only_ survivors. I told my father and he contacted the Doctor, gave him a device called 'The Moment' which time locked our planet, sealed it in a bubble in time just after it had started to destroy itself."

"How did you escape?" Clara blinked, feeling tears in her eyes at the situation and events she was describing. It was...devastating. You could literally hear the sorrow in Evy's voice. It was so powerful, she could almost picture it herself, people like Evy and the Doctor running around, firing laser guns at their enemies, ducking down as pepperpots launched bombs at them...

"The Doctor had to activate the Moment from space," Evy continued, "And when my father returned from giving it to him and told my mother they rushed to get me off the planet because they knew I was the Doctor's Link. They pushed me through a gap in space and time…"

The Untempered Schism...

"The Untempered Schism, it was called," Evy looked down, thinking of it, not seeing Clara frown at that and shake her head, "I fell to Earth and eventually found my way back to the Doctor, travelled with him, he fell in love with me, we Linked…had LJ," she smiled, though it was one that told Clara she really would rather _not_ talk about all she was skipping over, "But that's just it Clara, the only reason I got off the planet was because my parents _knew_ what the Doctor was about to do. _No one_ else did. No one else escaped. It's just…me, the Doctor, and LJ left. And if it's just us…"

"Then LJ's Link isn't out there," Clara finished.

She felt terrible. She _really_ did. Because LJ was such a sweet boy and would turn into quite the remarkable man from what she'd seen, and…he _deserved_ to be happy, as happy as his parents were with each other, and he might never get that because the Time Lords were dead, he'd never know a love like his Link could give him and that was _so_ heartbreaking…

And she felt so vile because…

She was…happy.

Just _slighty_ , just a _smidge_ , she was actually…happy about that.

She was a _terrible_ person.

She'd heard the Time Lords joke about baby LJ's little crush on her but…

She had a crush as well…

On J though, on the Captain.

She truly _was_ a monster to be even the tiniest bit happy that he wouldn't be with another girl, because she knew he'd _never_ be with her. She was human, she'd heard the tales of Rose, Evy had told her so many stories about ALL the Doctor's previous companions and promised to take her to meet them one day, something she couldn't wait for. She'd been very unbiased, from what she could tell, not letting Rose's clear attraction to the Doctor (and vice versa) to taint how she saw the woman, which was truly remarkable to be able to do that. She knew how much of a mess that whole thing had been though. She understood they were immortal, she wasn't, they'd heal if they got injured, she'd die, they stayed the same, she grew older…

It would hurt LJ or J to be with a human and have them die one day when he would live on and she couldn't _bear_ to do that to him.

She wanted him to be happy, she wanted him to find his Link desperately, because that little boy, that remarkable man, deserved all the happiness in the Universe.

But a part of her was still heartbroken at the thought that, if he _did_ find his Link, it would be a Time Lady who was brilliant, and clever, and resilient, and beautiful, and so many things she wasn't.

She didn't even know why she felt this way. All her life she hadn't really had an interest in anyone, boys, girls, anything. She'd had friends, she'd thought some boys were cute, but nothing…more. She'd just…never found one that captured her interest. And yet one five minute meeting with J in Akhaten had her dreaming about his eyes. One adventure with him and his sister and his uncle had had her dreaming about _him_ , about his crush on her turning into something more and then she'd feel terrible for that because she was human and she'd die and he'd be crushed.

He'd have his parents, yes, but she didn't _ever_ want to cause him any pain, not at all.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"We are too," Evy sighed, "It's hard, to know he might never find his Link, but…we live in hope," she smiled, the Doctor more so than her, she admitted it, "And he'll always have us, his parents, and his uncle Jack, and River…"

"River?" she blinked, stiffening, shoving down the flash of jealousy she'd felt race through her, J had mentioned a River both in Akhaten and Sweetville, "Who's she again?"

"She's his best friend," Evy answered and Clara let out a little breath, despite Evy having just said J _hadn't_ found his Link and might not ever, a part of her had wondered, for a split second, if this River woman was his Link, "Her parents were Amelia and Rory."

Clara blinked, "The Doctor's last companions yeah?"

She nodded, "They um, conceived River on the TARDIS in the Vortex and she was born Human with a bit of Time Lord DNA in her. She was kidnapped and taken back in time, allowed to grow up with Amy and Rory actually, they saw her again as an adult. She tried to kill us while I was pregnant with LJ…"

"She _what_?!" Clara gasped, her hand on her heart as it raced.

"We were ok," Evy laughed a bit at that, "Obviously we survived and River went to go make her own life, out of the hands of the people who tried to make her kill us, she went to a school, Luna University, and she met LJ there, er, _J_. They got along and they're best friends now."

"And River…she's still human?"

"Human plus," Evy nodded, "That's what we call it at least. She can regenerate, but she's only got one heart, a bit cleverer than an average human, but typical knowledge of anyone born in the 51st century. She gave up the rest of her regenerations to the Doctor, to heal him. She poisoned him in Berlin, that's when she tried to kill us, but she saved us in the end. Only has the one life left to live."

Clara nodded to herself, that was a lot to take in, but she reached out and took Evy's hand, "I'm sure he'll find his Link one day. YOU survived, maybe she did too."

Evy gave a small smile, "I've actually found myself believing that's just…too impossible."

"You never know," Clara told her, trying to offer her hope like they always did her…

And then LJ waddled back over to them, "Mummy! Up!" he held up his arms, a little braided thing, like four ribbons braided together, in his one hand.

She smiled, picking him up, taking his hand, "Oh what's this?" she asked him, nodding at the ribbon.

LJ giggled, "Clara!" he pointed at her.

Evy laughed, "I think someone has a gift for you," she told her.

Clara reached out and took it, it was like a little loop, like a bracelet, "Thanks!" she winked at him, slipping it on her wrist as he beamed at that.

LJ reached out and pointed at the colors, "Ozzy," he pointed to a red strand, "Lara," and a blue one, "You!" and a purple one.

Clara laughed, "What's this one then?" she pointed to a yellow strand.

LJ just shrugged.

Clara smiled at him, reaching out to run a hand through his hair, "How about you?"

LJ wrinkled his nose and shook his head, "No!"

"Well who is it then?" she poked him in the stomach.

"Dunno!" he giggled, making them laugh at that...

When the captain came over with a case of weapons, some of the soldiers behind her with more, "Cyberiad class weaponry," she reported, "I've taken it out of storage."

"Good," Evy passed LJ to Clara as the boy fiddled with her bracelet, letting his mother get up, "Now, we need to pick a defensible area, what do we have to pick from?"

The captain turned and led her to a large mural of the park, a map, and extended a pointer, "The beach…"

"We'd be trapped if they come by land or sea," Evy shook her head, "And what are we going to hide behind? A sand wall?"

The captain nodded, "The Giant's Cauldron..."

"Still not enough cover, we'd hardly be able to see them approach unless we're at the top, there's no windows to look through, we'd be sitting ducks if they got inside."

"Natty Longshoe's Comical Castle?"

She tilted her head, considering it, Clara smiling as LJ mimicked her, tilting his head too, "How similar is it to a real castle? Has it got a moat and drawbridge?"

"Yes. But comical."

"That's the one then," she nodded.

"Ma'am..." she hesitated when she saw Evy raise an eyebrow at her before she gestured her to continue, "My platoon can deal with one Cyberman. And there are protocols if we cannot immediately find and destroy it."

She scoffed, "And does that involve blowing up the planet?"

"Respectfully, ma'am..." the woman glared.

"Because that look is _so_ respectful at the moment," Evy countered, crossing her arms, "You listen to me, captain, I actually _have_ experience fighting IN a war, fighting Cybermen, with nothing more than a sonic," she pulled out her sonic, "AND my son and Link are here, so we are NOT blowing up this planet, is that understood?"

"She's your commanding officer now, isn't she, Captain?" Porridge asked as he walked over, smirking as he saw the small woman get the best of the captain.

The captain looked down at him, about to retort, before her eyes widened, "Yes...sir."

"Thank you Porridge," Evy gave him a small salute and made her way back to LJ.

"You're mum is GOOD," she heard Clara whispering to the boy, making her smile wider.

"You really saw a Cyberman?" Porridge asked the captain quietly.

"We really did," she nodded.

"Have you reported it to the Imperium?"

"No communicators."

"So you're going to do what she says. Right, let's all spend the night at Natty Longshoe's Comical Castle."

~8~

The Doctor raced into Webley's room, looking around for Artie, but he was gone, "Artie?" he hurried down the stairs, pausing when the sonic picked up one of the insects Evy had spotted earlier on a table. He crouched down and leaned over, staring into it, "Firstly, if anybody's watching this, those children are under my protection. I'm coming to get them. And secondly...little metal machine..." he smiled at it, "You are _beautiful_ , not as beautiful as my lovely Link though," before sonicing it and turning it off. He picked it up gingerly by its tail, "Not even a Cybermat any more, eh? Cybermites?" and held it in his palm, looking at it.

' _Please don't poke it with a stick,_ ' Evy mock-moaned in his head.

' _I won't, I promise,_ ' he crossed his hearts absently.

She sighed, ' _You're going to poke it with the sonic then aren't you?_ '

' _Yup,_ ' he nodded, doing just that, using the sonic to trace the controls of the mite into the chess room, pausing when he saw the Cyberman was missing.

' _Be careful Theta,_ ' Evy warned him.

' _I'm always careful._ '

' _Theta,_ ' she said, more serious than he'd heard her, making him stop entirely, ' _You're a father now, that is so much more important than a Link…and so help me if you make our son an orphan I will kill you myself._ '

He nodded, ' _I swear Luna, on Sigma's life, I will be careful._ '

He could feel her nod in his head, accepting that.

"Now..." he got back to business, "There's a local transmat link open to your home. If I can just find the frequency..." he scanned the mite and then held up the sonic, flicking it…and disappearing in a flash of light…

~8~

...only to reappear in a cold, metallic room with a round table in the middle, a light on it.

"Hey, that really shouldn't have worked," he mumbled.

' _You've always been good with teleports,_ ' Evy reminded him.

"Doctor, help us," he heard Angie call, her voice having a monotoned quality to it.

"Angie! Artie!" he spun around, seeing the children standing there, some sort of implant attached to their temples and scanned them. He spun around again, hearing someone step up behind him, "Webley?" he eyed the man, his face partially converted to Cyber-Form with his right arm much the same.

"We needed children, but the children had stopped coming. _You_ brought us children. Hail to you, the Doctor, savior of the Cybermen!" he saluted the Doctor, pressing his fisted right hand to his chest.

~8~

Evy and Clara walked side by side, LJ waddling between them, his hands in theirs, as they made their way to the castle, "What would the Empire do if they WERE alerted?" Clara asked the captain.

"I told you," she replied, "Tell me to blow up the planet."

"After they got us off?"

Evy snorted, "They blew up an entire galaxy Clara, what makes you think they'd care about a handful of humans?"

"No, ma'am," the captain answered Clara, "Just blow the sucker up."

"Drawbridge, moat, brilliant," Clara smiled as they came to the edge of the castle, trying to keep it light.

"With respect, ma'am," a tall, ginger man with curly hair and glasses called to Evy, making her turn, he paused when he saw her cross her arms and raise an eyebrow, Clara giggling behind her hand, seeing LJ, standing beside her, mimic her.

And the woman thought he only did that with the Doctor.

"Yes?" she shook her head when he was silent.

"We ought to be hunting the creature," he replied.

Evy just made her way over to him, "The only reason the Doctor is still alive is because he does what I tell him to," she told the man, "And believe me, out of you lot, he's the _only_ one who can bring Angie and Artie back _and_ stop the Cybermen in the process."

"CyberMEN?" the army started to murmur amongst themselves.

"You can't possibly think there's only ONE fully repaired Cyberman can you?" she eyed the boy, they were rather slow weren't they? "Who do you think _repaired_ him? But don't worry, I trust the Doctor. He'll stop them. He has before, he will again."

"You think he knows what he's doing?" the captain asked.

"Did I _say_ that?" Evy turned her eyebrow on the captain as well.

"No ma'am."

"Right then, first order of business," she spun around and moved to LJ, picking him up, "Who do you want to be dear? King? Knight?"

"Jester?" Clara suggested.

"Oi!"

"He IS the Doctor's son."

"True."

LJ tugged on his mother's hair to get her attention back, "Kin!"

She laughed, "King of the castle it is," she smiled softly at him, "You are definitely your father's son, ego the size of the TARDIS."

LJ just smiled at that and pointed at Clara, "Kween!"

"What?" Clara laughed.

"I think he just proposed to you," Evy laughed, "Eh? Were you saying Queen?"

"Yes!" LJ cheered.

Clara laughed at that, smiling softly, "Ask me when you're older," though her smile turned sad as she watched Evy walk with LJ into the castle.

He _couldn't_ ask when he was older, because it _couldn't_ happen.

~8~

"As the battle raged between humanity and the Cyberiad," Webley strolled to the Doctor as the Time Lord stood there, on the other end of the circular table from him, "The Cyber-Planners built a Valkyrie, to save critically damaged units and bring them here and, one by one, repair them."

"The people who vanished from the amusement park, they were spare parts for repairs," the Doctor realized.

"We've upgraded ourselves. The next model will be undefeatable."

"Nothing's undefeatable," he countered.

Webley walked over to the children, the Doctor mirroring him, putting his hands protectively on them, telling Webley silently that he would _not_ be getting them.

"We needed children to build a new Cyber-Planner. A child's brain, with its infinite potential, is perfect for our needs. But we no longer need the children. The Cybermites have been scanning YOUR brain, Doctor. It's quite remarkable," he walked closer to the Doctor as the Time Lord backed away.

"Also completely useless to you. Cybermen use human parts. I'm not human. You can't convert non-humans."

"Well, that was true a long time ago. But we've upgraded ourselves. Current Cyber-Units use almost any living components!" he held out his hands to reveal Cybermites crawling on them, throwing them at the Doctor as they crawled up him and latched onto his face.

He screamed in pain and bent over backwards on the table, feeling himself being upgraded…

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor LJ/J :( I really wanted to do a twist where Evy is the one who thinks it's impossible while the Doctor believes it can happen for his son, awww :) I also wanted to give Clara bit more insight to Linking, she has a very vague idea of it, not much, she doesn't exactly know what happens during Linking, what it means, how it happens, just that it's supposed to represent compatibility. Here though she learns more about the effects of Linking and what it's like for two people to BE Linked.
> 
> I wanted to show a different side to her once she learns more about it. Of course, with LJ/J being the Doctor's son and having his luck with women who meet him, I think she would entertain the hope that J might like her like that. But she won't pull a Rose or Martha or Donna or even Amy. She won't come between him (like Rose in the Academic Series), she won't pine after him (or at least she'll try not to (it won't rule her life as it did with Martha as she doesn't encounter J much)), but she won't be like Donna where they're best of friends and that's it (she DOES have a crush), nor will she be like Amy and try to seduce him (she respects the possible relationship he might have with his Link). Now that I think about it, she's a lot like Evy, keeping silent, bearing it all, and just...being there for him :)
> 
> And, yes, I know Clara was a Time Lady in one life, technically her first life. I can promise that I will likely NEVER write a story where someone randomly and magically becomes a Time Lady out of nowhere or stick a fob watch in right at the end (it feels like a copout to me). If ever I have some twist like that, it will be led up to, it will be hinted at throughout the story, and it will be completely explained within the scope of the story and (hopefully) make some sort of sense as to why it happened/be justified within the DW universe. I really try to make all my twists believable and explainable/realistic given the events of the show/past I've made for the characters.
> 
> Next chapter...the Doctor's not alone in his head, Evy knows her Link very well, and...someone stops a wedding :)


	27. Nightmare in Silver (Part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick note, I usually do ~8~ to separate a scene, but since we have the Doctor's 'mental landscape,' whenever that happens I'll begin the scene with a ~0~ just so you know where the scene is taking place :)

"AH!" Evy screamed as she fell to her knees, one hand resting on the wall beside her, the other hand grasping at the side of her head, thankfully LJ had been walking on his own and not in her arms.

"Evy!" Clara gasped, running to her side as LJ started to cry at seeing his mummy in pain, "What happened?! What is it? What's wrong?!"

Evy could only shake her head, feeling her mind getting pulled across the park, being tugged by the Link…

~8~

The Doctor jolted forward with a gasp, what looked like pieces of metal mapped across the side of his face, "Incorporated," he grinned, his voice a note deeper, clearly not the Doctor any longer, "Yes," he patted himself down, examining his new body, "Unfamiliar pulmonary set-up. Nervous system hyperconductive. _Remarkable_ brain processing speed. Ooh! Amazing!"

He jerked, "Get out of my head!" the Doctor yelled with his usual inflection.

~0~

Within their mind, the Doctor strode across a warm brown area with Gallifreyan symbols floating everywhere towards a cold blue area across from him with numerous equations and formulae floating around, a version of him with the metal mapping on his left side standing there.

"Stop rummaging in my mind!" he glared at the Cyber...thing.

"Just you try and stop me," the thing smirked, glancing to the right where he could see images floating in the space between them, "Ooh, who's Clara?" he smirked, "Why are you thinking about _her_ so much? Ohh, your Link won't be happy about that and your boy will fight you for her…" he grinned as the images shifted to Evy and LJ at the mention of them, "Oh, you're worried she's a danger to your wittle family eh? Well guess what, _I'm_ a bigger danger than she could ever be…"

The Doctor nearly lunged at the man for his threat, had someone not shoved their way between them and forced them apart.

"Enough!" Evy shouted, appearing in his mind, nearly physically there, the Link having pulled her there when it felt an attack on the Doctor's mind, knowing an outside presence, one unaffected by the attack in progress would be able to help defend the mind in question, build up an extra defense.

"Fascinating," the Cyber-thing eyed her, "How are you here?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," she countered, before taking the Doctor's hand and the lights went off around them, just the three of them standing there in two spotlights.

"A complete mental block," the Cyber-thing eyed them, "Made stronger by the presence of a second, unincorporated mind. Highly effective I must admit."

~8~

Evy gasped, opening her eyes to see herself on the ground Clara and LJ before her, LJ crying and reaching for her as Clara tried to hold him back and comfort him, "Oh, LJ," she reached out, taking him from Clara, the boy clutching her tightly, winding a hand through her hair for comfort, "Oh my sweet boy, it's ok, I'm fine…" she patted LJ on the back, starting to rock him a bit, "Shh," before murmuring in a different language that made Clara frown, " _I'm alright Sigma, mummy's fine and daddy will be too. Nothing is going to happen to us, you know that. We won't ever leave you alone. Sh_ h…"

"Evy, what happened?" Clara asked, sounding genuinely scared, and worried.

Evy sighed and held out a hand, Clara helping her up as she kept LJ in one arm, "The Cybermen are far more sneaky than the humans give them credit for," she explained, thankful that she had insisted she and Clara go scope out the castle _alone_ while the army set up base, if they heard what she was about to say they'd blow up the planet, "They've been hiding out, adapting, upgrading. They got the Doctor."

"What?!"

"He's fine, he's partially in control, but it's latched onto his mind."

"Like Mr. Sweet?"

"Basically," she nodded, it was a fitting comparison, a Cyber-leech-thing, "But the Doctor's strong, he's keeping the Cyber-Planner down, keeping it from controlling him completely. But he needed help. The Link lets us touch each other's minds, lets us connect. He needed help from an unincorporated mind to keep the Planner completely down."

"And that's what happened just then?" Clara breathed a sigh of relief, "You were just helping the Doctor not…" she swallowed, "Not…dying."

"No," she reassured the girl, "I wasn't expecting the pain of it or I would have controlled it better, not scared you as much eh," she pulled LJ away a bit, tapping his nose, "Daddy's the scary one right?"

LJ nodded, sniffling, better, "Ottomin Stom!"

"What?" Clara laughed.

"The Oncoming Storm," she explained, "One of the many names the Doctor's been called over the ages. Like...John Smith or the Caretaker or idiot or..."

"Chin-boy?" Clara nudged her.

"Exactly," she laughed, "But no, I wasn't dying, I can't die now, not when I've got my little man watching out for me eh?" she hugged LJ again.

"Yes!" LJ cheered, starting to giggle, feeling MUCH better apparently.

"Come on, we need to prepare for the Cybermen, whatever they're doing. Being Linked means not much can block it. The Cyber-Planner can't get to me but won't be aware I'm there unless I'm needed in the Doctor's mind again. He can feed me information without the Planner knowing."

~8~

The Cyber-Planner seemed unconcerned by the mental block as he whirled around the lab, "Relax, relax," he grinned, starting to spin around, "If you just relax, you will find this a perfectly pleasant experience. You are being upgraded and incorporated into the Cyberiad as a Cyber-Planner."

Before he twitched, "Get out of my head!"

~0~

The Doctor looked around the bleak mental scape, seeing blue blinking dots connected by thin strands behind the Planner, apparently the man didn't think him enough of a threat to block his own half of their connection, "What is this place? A network? A hive? You're getting signals from every Cyberman everywhere. How many of you are there?"

~8~

"Oh...this is brilliant!" the Cyber-Planner smirked, moving to spin around again, "I'm so clever already, and now I'm a million times more clever. And what a brain! Not a human brain, not even SLIGHTLY human," he poked Webley in the forehead before leaning against the circular table, "I mean, I'll have to completely rewrite the neural interface, but this is going to be the most efficient," he leapt onto the table, throwing his arms out wide, "Cyber-Planner! Not a great name, that, is it? I could call myself...Mr. Clever. So much raw data..." he let out a breath, "Time Lords. There's information on the _Time Lords_ in here! Oh, this is just _dreamy_!"

~0~

"Right," the Doctor waved his arm, bringing up _one single_ swirling space between them in the near-darkness, showing him his past incarnations regenerating, "I'm _allowing_ you access to memories on Time Lord regeneration."

The Cyber-Planner clapped, "Fantastic!"

"I could regenerate now," the Doctor got to the point, "Big blast of regeneration energy, burn out any little Cyber-Widgets in my brain, along with everything you're connected to. Don't want to. Might traumatize my son, and my Link will kill me if I come back looking different without her being there. But you diss me up, who knows what we'll get next? But I can," he pointed warningly at the Cyber-Planner.

~8~

"Stalemate, then," the Cyber-Planner strode across the room, "One of us needs to control this head. We're too well-balanced."

He jerked, the Doctor wincing as he took control back, "What did you say? No, no, no, I heard you. Rhetorical device to keep me thinking about it a bit more. Stalemate?"

~0~

"We each control 49.881 percent of this brain. 0.238 of the brain is still in the balance," the Cyber-Planner began, bringing up an image of the brain in the swirling space, "Whoever gets this gets the whole thing."

The Doctor just smirked at that, the man really was _so stupid_ if he thought that last .238 of the brain was unclaimed, but that was JUST what he needed the man to believe to get information out of him, to get the kids back, "Do you play chess?"

"The rules of chess are in my memory banks. You're proposing we play chess to end the stalemate?"

"Winner takes all. Nobody can access that portion of the brain without winning the game," he held out a hand and the Cyber-Planner shook it.

~8~

"You can't win!" the Cyber-Planner glared, about to storm across the lab.

"Try me," the Doctor jerked.

"You understand," and jerked again, "When I DO win, the Cyberiad gets your brains and memories. _All_ of it."

"When _I_ win," and once more, "You get out of my head, you let the children go, and nobody dies. You got that? _Nobody dies_!"

Especially not his Link and son.

~8~

Evy rubbed her forehead, it was usually bad to have just the Doctor in her head, hearing him arguing with, well, himself, made it that much worse. She was getting a terrible headache. Clara had taken to holding LJ, worried for the boy's safety if Evy was attacked again and collapsed, something Evy was very thankful for her doing.

"Erm, ma'am," the ginger man called as he ran after her and Clara, walking on the battlements, "Missy said she saw something, and then she went quiet."

"And what do you think that means?" Evy asked him as they reached the captain and Porridge with the other soldiers, all unpacking weapons.

"Um…that the line went dead?"

She sighed, "Clara? Would you like to take that one?"

"It's on its way," Clara explained, making Porridge smile at her cleverness. But really though, this punishment platoon was more a punishment for THEM than anything. She put LJ down, watching the boy as he wandered to the boxes, curious to peek in them.

"Weapons," Evy frowned down at them, before she sighed, "Let's see what we have then," and crouched down, "One gun…"

"Cybermen have been extinct for 1,000 years," the captain cut in before Evy could finish, "Even _one_ Anti-Cyber Gun is a miracle."

"I was going to say, captain," Evy shot her a look, "That it was a miracle you managed that. I'm _well aware_ of how rare they are, thank you, and I was also going to say that I'm pleased there's only one. Guns are NOT something I want my son around."

Lord knew River would have guns enough to last a Time Lord lifetime.

The captain looked down, cheeks pink at the scolding, as Clara and LJ smirked at her, _loving_ Evy putting the woman in her place. She was such a mother...perhaps that was why she and the Doctor worked so well, he was so child-like and out of control at times, that he needed someone mature and able to balance him. Evy was most certainly that.

"Now…hand pulsers?" she held one up, like a glove with a metal circle in the middle of the palm.

"Yes ma'am," the woman nodded, "Touch the back of a Cyberman's head, the electromagnetic pulse deactivates it."

"What's this for?" Clara asked, moving to crouch beside LJ as he came to stop by a black box.

"Boom!" he threw his hands up.

"It blows up the planet?" she guessed with a small smile, LJ really was adorable.

Evy flashed her sonic at it, looking at the results, "Implodes it actually," she looked around, "Where's the trigger unit?"

The captain held up the button, "I'll have that, then," Clara snatched it away, not about to let the woman who had no issues blowing them up hold the thing that would blow them up, "Is there any other way to activate the bomb?"

"It's set to respond to her voice," Evy nodded.

"I have the verbal code," the captain agreed.

Evy looked up at her, "You are NOT to activate that bomb without a direct command or authorization from me."

The captain stood to look down at her, the woman not moving to stand as LJ had gone to sit in her lap, playing with the hand pulsers, "I will follow my orders."

"Good, because those come from me," Evy smirked, "Or have you forgotten this shiny pin on my coat?" she reached out, without looking away from the captain, to take LJ's hand as he started to play with the shiny pin.

The ginger man looked between his captain and the woman in charge before turning to Clara, feeling she was the safer option at the moment, "You'll need to sign for that trigger unit, ma'am," and gave her a clipboard.

"Thanks," she nodded, standing to take it and sign it.

"Mind if I take one of these?" Porridge held up a pulser, "Might be _handy_ ," he reached over to tickle LJ, making the boy laugh.

"Help yourself," the captain said, looking highly annoyed, "I'll teach you how to use it. Upstairs. Now."

Porridge glanced at her for the tone but sighed and followed the woman up a flight of stairs as she left, Evy watching. Did they _really_ think they could hide the fact that Porridge was the Emperor from her? He looked like a shorter version of the wax figure and the man she'd glimpsed on Angie's coin.

Clara glanced at Evy, "How's the Doctor?"

"Failing miserably at chess."

~8~

"There," the Cyber-Planner made a move on the chessboard set up before him and the Doctor on the circular table, "That was easy."

The Doctor jerked, moving his piece, "The game...has just started."

"Doctor..." the Cyber-Planner jerked, "Why is there no record of you, your Link, or your son, anywhere in the databanks of the Cyberiad?" he smirked, moving his black knight as the information leaked through at the mention of it, "Oh. You're good. You've been eliminating yourselves from history. You know, you could be reconstructed by the hole you've left."

The Doctor winced, his jaw clenching, "Good point. I'll do something about that," before he moved his white knight.

~0~

"The rules of chess allow only a finite number of moves," the Cyber-Planner stated in the Doctor's mind, "And I can use other Cyber-Units as remote processors. You cannot possibly win."

"I _can_ ," the Doctor insisted, "I know things you don't. For example, did you know...very early versions of the Cyber-Operating system could be seriously scrambled by exposure to things, like...gold or cleaning fluid? And what's interesting is...you're still running some of that code."

"Really?" the Cyber-Planner started to smirk, " _That's_ your secret weapon?" and laugh, "Cleaning fluid?"

~8~

"Nope," the Doctor grinned, "Gold!" and slapped the golden ticket to his face, shaking his cheeks and making an odd noise he was sure LJ would have loved to hear, "Ho ho!" he cheered, "Like a charm. Right, you, Cyber...Webley. And you, kid...things. I'll bring the chessboard. Let's get out of here!" he swept his arms around the pieces, "I miss my son and I'd rather like to kiss my Link."

~8~

"He's coming then?" Clara asked as Evy led her and LJ up a flight of stairs, "The Doctor's coming here?"

Evy nodded, having just told Clara of the Doctor's regain of control of himself, how he was coming to help them, "Daddy always comes doesn't he?" she squeezed LJ's hand, now that the Cyber-Planner was quiet, her head felt better.

"Daddy!" LJ cheered, clambering up the stairs after his mummy, finally being allowed to walk up them himself, he liked climbing things.

Clara smiled at him, she couldn't imagine someone being able to destroy a whole world just to get rid of ONE robot. She understood why the Doctor had done what he did with his own planet, it was an _entire race_ that was there, but this? This was ONE Cyberman…

And speaking of, "I don't get it," she called, seeing Porridge and the captain talking on the battlements as they came nearer, the bomb sitting off to the side, "Why would you blow up a whole planet, and everybody on it, just to get rid of _one_ Cyberman?"

"We tried other ways," Porridge shrugged, "But they only work sometimes. So now we take drastic action. And it works."

"If you find a Cyberman and you can't destroy it immediately, you implode the planet," the captain agreed, "I was sent here because I didn't follow orders. I can make up for that…" she strode past them and picked up the bomb. She turned, about to continue, only to see Evy right in front of her with her arms crossed.

"Going somewhere?" she asked, raising her eyebrow at the woman.

"Respectfully, ma'am, I must ask you to move."

She shook her head, "Put that down. Now."

"Yeah," Porridge agreed, though a bit distracted by Clara picking up LJ and protecting him, "What she said."

"You ran away," the captain shot back at him, "I will do what I was brought up to do. Live for the Empire, fight for the Empire, die for the Empire. This is Captain Alice Ferrin," she shoved past Evy, "Imperial ID 19-delta-13B. Activate..." she dropped the bomb suddenly as it sparked in her hands and spun around to see Evy with her sonic out, blowing on the end of it before she put it in her holster.

"I said…put it down," she smirked.

The captain glared, storming towards her…when a beam fired right at her from below the castle's side, striking her, Clara turning LJ so he wouldn't see.

"Cyberman!" Porridge shouted, "Get down!"

Evy soniced the captain, "She's dead," she told two soldiers who had run over to help before turning to the edge to look out at the Cyberman. It just stared at her before walking away.

"Evy?" Clara called, standing with LJ, the boy fussing, he hadn't seen it thankfully, everything happening too quickly, but that hadn't stopped him from wanting to see the Cyberman in action, real and walking. But she was careful to keep him from spotting the captain lying there as she edged to Evy.

"We need to get off the battlements," she said, turning to lead them off, taking LJ back from Clara.

"The Doctor said to get somewhere easily defensible," Clara followed, "But if we stay in the castle, it'll pick us off one by one."

Evy nodded, "So we take the battle to it then."

"Is that an order, ma'am?" one of the soldiers who had gathered, the heavy man who had attacked the Cyber in the base, asked.

"Yes."

"Good."

She nodded, "Clara?"

Clara tossed one of the hand pulsers to the ginger man, "You know what to do."

"Pulse to the back of the head," the man nodded, "Fry the brain circuit interface."

"It's going to be hard to get in close enough."

"You'd be surprised what you can do when you understand your enemy," Evy smirked.

Clara glanced at her, "I'm not gonna like this am I?"

"No!" LJ giggled, smiling at her.

~8~

"Why do _I_ have the gun again?" Clara whisper-hissed to Evy as she and the girl ducked back behind a low wall with LJ, Clara holding the Anti-Cyber gun in her hand, Evy holding her son.

"Because I don't like guns," Evy said simply.

"But you were actually _in_ a war!"

"And I refuse to touch a gun ever again. I don't want my son to see me use one, that is NOT the example I want to set for him."

"But it's ok for ME to use one?"

"His best friend frequently carries a gun," she shrugged, "I just don't want him to see me or the Doctor with one. Other people, they aren't US."

Clara sighed, "If I miss and it kills us all, no pointing fingers at me," she huffed.

They froze, hearing a metal stomping, a Cyberman getting closer, and peeked just a bit above the wall to watch.

"I've heard about the Cybermen since I was in my cradle!" the heavyset man baited from in front of them, "I'm not afraid of you!"

"Now!" Evy called and Clara leapt up, firing at the Cyberman as the man dove away, disintegrating it.

Clara stared wide eyed, "I did it!"

She was actually a bit shocked she'd managed that shot. She hadn't really ever used a gun before but...just then...it was almost like she just knew what to do, like she'd done it before. But she supposed, in the heat of battle, you learned quickly.

Evy laughed and stood, "Well done Clara."

"Bad!" LJ pointed and they looked over to see the soldiers the Cyberman had attacked moments ago, standing up, implants on their left temples.

"Hold it right there!" the man shouted at them.

"What's happening to them?" Clara gasped, before readying the gun, "One more step, and I fire!"

"Don't," Evy cut in, "A pulse should be enough to shut them down," she gestured over at the soldiers who ran over and used the pulsers on their commrades, knocking them out, "We need to save the charge for the others."

"Right," Clara nodded.

"Come on," Evy turned to lead them off, "The Doctor's almost here, we should go meet him, make sure no one tries to kill him before I get the chance to."

~8~

The Doctor quickly made his way down the roads with Webley, Angie, and Artie marching after him, letting the Link guide him back to Evy. Just as he reached the castle, soldiers swarmed out of it and he held the chessboard up before him like a shield, "Don't shoot, don't shoot!" he lowered it, "I'm nice!"

"That hardly ever worked for Rory, Doctor," Evy called as she and Clara headed down, LJ in Evy's arms, Clara with the gun.

"It's alright," Clara looked at the soldiers, "Stand down," they lowered their weapons.

"Daddy!" LJ squirmed out of Evy's arms as she set him down and waddle-ran to the Doctor.

He laughed and crouched, setting the chessboard down to scoop LJ up in his arms, spinning around, "How's my boy doing?" he tapped LJ's nose, "You watching out for mummy? Nice job by the way Eves," he winked at her, "You haven't let them blow up the planet."

She rolled her eyes, "Like I'd let them with YOU and LJ on it."

"Did you get the kids?" Clara cut in, "Are they alright?" and then she noticed the metal on his face as LJ poked it, "What's going on?"

"Bit of a good news/bad news/good news again thing going on. So...good news, I've kidnapped their Cyber-Planner, and right now I'm sort of in control of this Cyberman."

"Part one of the bad news is that the Cyber-Planner's in his head," Evy added, "And part two…well, why don't YOU take that one dear."

"Oh sure," he pouted, "Leave me with the really bad news."

She rolled her eyes and gave him a peck.

"Really bad news?" Clara reminded them.

He winced, "The kids are...well, it's complicated."

"Complicated how?" Clara lifted the gun.

"Complicated as in...walking coma!" he quickly grabbed the chessboard and hid behind it, blocking him and LJ as he ducked behind the children for more protection, Clara ran forward and looked at them, seeing the implants blinking, Evy sonicing them.

"Please tell me you can wake them up," Clara turned to him, holding the gun up.

"Hope so," he murmured, a bit sing-song.

"We can," Evy nodded, looking at her sonic, "They're being controlled by the Cyber-Planner, we shut him down, these implants switch off and release them."

"Other good news?" Clara breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well, in other good news," the Doctor backed up, "There are a few more repaired and reactivated Cybermen on the way. And the Cyber-Planner's installing a patch for the gold thing…ow!" he winced as Evy whacked him, him having come up beside her, "Right," he nodded, "That _isn't_ good news, is it? Um, so...good news…" he held up his chessboard, "I have a _very_ good chance of winning my chess match."

"What?" Clara blinked.

"I'll explain later. In a bit of a hurry," he turned to start up the drawbridge, "Get me to a table," before he stopped and turned, "And somebody tie me up!"

"No problems with that," Evy smirked.

The Doctor blushed, "I didn't mean...I wasn't talking…I just...shut up…" he stuttered, sounding JUST like J had with Clara, and then he saw her raise her eyebrow and cross her arms.

"LJ," she called.

The boy leaned in and tugged the Doctor's hair, well, pulled on it really.

"Ow, ow, right, sorry, I meant…I love you?" he smiled at her.

"Better," she nodded, appeased, walking towards him, "So hands free for chess?"

He nodded as well, "And immobilize me. Quickly," before dashing into the castle.

~8~

The Doctor set up the chessboard before him in the comical throne room of the comical castle, looking quiet comical himself as Clara and Evy tying him to a chair, LJ sitting across from him on the other side of the chessboard, the table big enough for him, with the thrones moved so that they were set around the edge, making sure he wouldn't go off the edge. Angie, Artie, and Webley were standing off to the side, facing him, expressionless.

"Right, that's good," he Doctor nodded, holding up his hands "I won't be able to move, but...hands free. Good."

"You're playing chess...with yourself?" Clara tried to follow, the way Evy had described it made it sound like he was playing another person.

"And winning," he grinned.

"Losing," Evy coughed.

The Doctor rolled his eyes and tore the golden ticket off the side of his face, making Evy wince at the return of the Cyber-Planner.

"Actually, Blondie's right," he spoke, his voice deep again.

"Blondie?" Evy scoffed.

"He has no better than a 25 percent chance of winning at this stage in the game. Some very dodgy moves at the beginning. Hello, flesh-girl, Linky."

"Linky?" she laughed this time, for being evil, the thing really _couldn't_ come up with a better name?

"Fantastic!" he tried a Northern accent, "I'm the Cyber-Planner."

"That's not the Doctor is it?" Clara frowned.

"Nope, his accent wouldn't be quite SO terrible if he was," Evy shrugged, moving to LJ's side, placing a hand on his back as the boy crossed his arms and frowned/glared at his daddy, or the man-who-was-not-his-daddy.

"Afraid not," the Cyber-Planner nodded, "I'm working the mouth now. Allons-y!" Evy rolled her eyes and nodded Clara over, letting the girl stand beside LJ, leaning with her arms crossed on the back of the thrones, as she slowly made her way around the Cyber-Planner, observing him, "Oh, you should see the state of these neurons, he's had some cowboys in here. Ten complete rejects."

"You aren't the Doctor," Clara decided.

"Bad!" LJ pouted, till Clara ran a hand through his hair, making him beam up at her.

"No, but I know who YOU are. You're the impossible girl. Well," he sneered, "The Impossible HUMAN Girl. Ooh, he's _very_ interested in you."

"Why am I impossible?" Clara frowned up at Evy who shook her head.

"Hasn't he told you? The sly devil. Oh, dear me. Soon, we wake, we'll strip you down for spare parts, then build a spaceship and move on."

"More Cybermen?"

"They're waking from their tomb right now. You can either die or live on as one of us."

"The Doctor's going to stop you," Evy remarked from behind him.

"He can't even access the lips," the Cyber-Planner smirked…

Till Evy really whacked him on the back of the head.

"Owwww!" the Doctor cried, snapping out of it, "Ow! Oh, that hurt! No, stop! Enough! Bit of pain, neural surge, just what I needed. Thanks," he looked over his shoulder at her, "How did you manage to see the paper from there?"

"What paper?" she smirked and he looked down at the paper he'd written 'Hit Me' on and pouted…till Evy gave him a quick kiss.

"Why am I the impossible girl?" Clara crossed her arms. She'd heard the Doctor call Evy that a few times, but the way the Cyber-Planner had said it made her think it was a bit more…distressing or even…threatening a title than Evy's playful one.

"It's a thing in my head," the Doctor shook his head, "I'll explain later."

"Chess game, stakes?"

"If he wins, the Doctor has to 'hand over' his mind," Evy said.

"What's with the quotey fingers?" Clara asked her.

"I'll explain later," she repeated the Doctor.

"But if _I_ win," the Doctor smiled, "He'll break his promises to get out of my head and then kill us anyway…" and then frowned.

"That's not reassuring," Clara frowned.

"No."

"Bad," LJ remarked.

"Yes."

Clara rubbed her head and turned to Evy, "Please tell me you can fix what happened to the children."

"Oi! I can fix them too!"

Clara gave him a look before turning to Evy, "Please tell me you can fix what happened to the children."

Which made him pout.

Evy just patted him on the head that time, "They're fine Clara. Right now…it's like they're sleeping."

"Right now," the Doctor interrupted, a deeper note to his voice, "They have a better chance of getting out of this situation alive than you do."

Clara stiffened and looked at him, "Which one of you said that?"

"Me," he grinned darkly, "Cyber-Planner. Mr. Clever. Now, if you don't mind, I have a…" he poked Clara in the forehead, making her lean back, "Chess game to finish. And YOU have to die pointlessly and very far from home. Toodle-loo."

Clara frowned and turned to leave, gasping when she saw Evy _leaving LJ_ with the Doctor/Planner, "But…" she began.

"The Doctor will NEVER let anything hurt LJ," she told her, "It'll give him more incentive to win, he loves impressing our son," she smiled, "And he's tied up, there's nothing he can do to hurt LJ."

Clara hesitated to leave, not really feeling comfortable or as confident as Evy did that the boy would be alright. She couldn't help it, she knew the Doctor ws the boy's father, she'd SEEN how protective he was of his son, she recalled what Emma had warned her of, but...something inside her tugged at the thought of leaving him in any sort of danger, even one that was completely controlled by fatherly love. But LJ, as though sensing her concerns, turned and smiled, waving at her with both hands. She gave him a small smile and wave back before forcing herself to head out with Evy.

~8~

"It's exactly as I thought," Evy began as she and Clara joined the soldiers by the drawbridge, Porridge there as well, giving a report to the men and women, "There are definitely more Cybermen and they're coming."

"There's at least a dozen more shots left in the gun before it needs to recharge," the ginger man pointed at the gun Clara still had.

"We'll probably have more than a dozen Cybermen to worry about, won't we?" she looked at Evy who nodded, Porridge smiling at her, she was rather clever.

Evy pulled out her sonic and scanned around, stopping at a cable, "Power line for the park?" she asked the soldiers as they nodded, "Clara, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Are you thinking about what would happen if we dropped the end into the moat and turned it on?" Clara guessed with a smile.

"Exactly, boys care to answer?" she looked around.

"Fry anything that entered the water," the heavy man answered.

"Can Cybermen fly?" Clara asked.

"Have they upgraded themselves to that point?" Evy had to wonder.

"No, ma'ams," the ginger shook his head.

"First good news of the day," Clara grinned.

"Right then, get on it," Evy smiled as the soldiers got to work, cutting the cable and lowering it into the water, turning it on as they rose the drawbridge.

~8~

The Cyber-Planner smirked as the boy across from him watched him with a frown…

~0~

The Doctor winced, "Stop that!" he cried in his mind, "I _felt_ that."

"Of course you did," the Cyber-Planner laughed, "It's time to get up. Wakey wakey, boys and girls. Wakey wakey!"

~8~

Clara walked with Evy in the courtyard of the castle, watching as the soldiers set up the defenses, Evy seeming perfectly at ease despite the chill in the air. Clara rubbed her hands together when Porridge turned to hand her a cup of hot soup, "There," he smiled, "Get that in you. Warm you up."

"Oh, thank you, Porridge," Clara smiled, about to drink it, when the Doctor shouted from inside.

"Oi, Clara!"

Clara sighed, about to head in, when Evy held up a hand, "It's ok Clara," she murmured, a tense note to her voice, " _I'll_ see what he wants. Call me if there's any change."

Clara nodded as she ate her soup, watching the woman disappear inside.

~8~

"You're not Clara," the Doctor remarked as Evy entered.

"Yes, because I'm _really_ going to let her in here, alone, with you, when you might not be you."

"Right, yes, good thought," he smiled, "Now, gimme a quick rundown. What's our weapons strength?"

"No," she shook her head, heading up to the chessboard, "Not going to say, incase it's not you."

He pouted, "It's me," he insisted, "The Cyber-Planner's hibernating between moves right now. Shh."

Evy smirked and leaned in, glancing at LJ who was frowning at the man, able to sense what she could as well, "Prove it then. Tell me something only the Doctor knows."

"Alright then," he smiled, leaning in too, "I'm the only one who knows how much I love you," he told her, "How funny you are, _so_ funny...how strong…how remarkable a mother you are to LJ…and pretty..."

Evy rolled her eyes and slapped him on the back of the head.

"Ow!" the Doctor winced, hunching forward a moment, "Ow! Ow! Yes! It's me! That really hurt! How did you know that was him?!"

"I know you dear, I have a direct connection to your mind," she tapped her head, "I was hoping my hints that I knew it wasn't you would be enough but that Planner's rather thick isn't he?"

"Yeah, a bit," he laughed.

"You would have said our son's name when we were alone to prove it too," she told him, "And you would have used a stronger word than pretty obviously," she laughed, "Just finish the game," she gestured at the board when he grabbed her arm in his left hand, "Cyber-Planner?" she guessed.

He nodded, struggling with himself to let her go, "He's got control of the left arm…LJ!" the boy crawled over quickly and bit his father's wrist, making the 'Cyber-Planner' recoil and pull away, "Oh good boy!" the Doctor cheered, "Ow," he shook his arm out, "But well done boyo!"

LJ smiled, proud he'd been able to help his parents, "Best!"

"Yes you are," he laughed.

"Oh don't go feeding his ego!" Evy mock-whined.

She knew her son was remarkable and brilliant and amazing, but he was only just about 2 years old! He didn't need an ego that big already. Oh she couldn't wait till he met River officially, she could feel that the woman would help tame that ego a bit. She winced internally though, someone better able would be his Link, like she did with the Doctor's.

But, for now, River would have to do.

~8~

Clara and Evy stood against a wall, looking down at the Cybermen that had swarmed around the castle, thousands, maybe even millions, of them.

"One gun, five hand pulsers, and a planet-smashing bomb," Clara sighed, "The bomb's looking better and better."

"Too bad the button won't work anymore," Evy remarked.

"Why not?" the ginger man looked at her, alarmed

"When I soniced it to get the captain to drop it, it short circuited, only the voice activation will work."

"But you signed for that…" he pointed at Clara who held up her hands, it had nothing to do with her.

~8~

LJ glared at the man-who-was-not-his-daddy as he spoke to the Doctor, "I've learned _so much_ from you, Doctor. It's been an education. But now it's time for the endgame!" he slammed a piece down.

~8~

They watched as a Cyberman stepped into the moat…shutting down as it jerked, sparks flying around it as it was short circuited from the electricity.

"Brilliant!" Clara laughed as the others cheered.

But then the robot straightened, "Upgrade in progress," and continued on as though nothing had happened, the others moving with it.

"Damn," Clara sighed.

"Right then," Evy nodded, looking at the soldiers, not wanting to put Clara in the line of fire again, _LJ_ would kill her if the girl got hurt, "Who's the best shot?"

"Probably it's me," the heavy man stepped up, Clara handing him the gun.

"Shoot any of them who make it across," Clara told the man.

"The rest of you, take defensive positions," Evy added as the soldiers headed off.

"Porridge?" Clara turned to him.

"Yes?" the man looked up at her.

She smiled, "Keep yourself safe."

Porridge nodded, touched by her concern for him, and ran off just as the main gate was knocked down.

Evy grabbed Clara and pulled her to the side as the heavy man fired at the Cybers, the soldiers running around to try and knock the rest of the Cybers out with the pulsers.

~8~

"They're nearly here," the Cyber-Planner smirked, touching the chess pieces, "Now, you can take my bishop and keep limping on for a little longer. Or you can sacrifice your queen, and get the children back, but it's mate in five moves. And _I_ get your mind."

~8~

"Go!" the heavy man shouted as they fired at more Cybers.

Evy pulled out her sonic, scanning them, waiting for something.

~8~

"Take my queen," the Doctor knocked it down, "And give me back the children," he winked at LJ, who smiled.

"Emotions!" the Cyber-Planner sneered, the Doctor's head twitching to the side as he spoke, "Can't you see what a foolish move that was? You've lost the game!"

"Kids! Back! Now!" he looked over as Angie and Artie fell to their knees.

The Cyber-Planner grinned and took the queen, kissing it…till a chess piece hit him in the head, LJ glaring at him, having thrown it at him.

"Emotions, Doctor," he ignored the baby, "All for two human children you barely know. And it was a _pointless_ sacrifice anyway."

Angie got up and looked around, scared, not sure where she was or how she'd gotten there or what had happened between the last thing she remembered and now.

"So, Doctor...do you think the children's death will affect your friendship with Miss Clara? Or, ooh, what of your Link?" he smirked, "How will she feel when she finds out YOU let your son die?!"

Porridge ran in witht he bomb in hand and a pulser, just as Webley turned to LJ, "Welcome to Webley's World of Wonders, children. Now presenting delights, delicacies... and death!" he reached for the boy.

"LJ!" the Doctor struggled, now seeing the downside in requesting to be tied up.

Porridge ran over, leaving the bomb, and grabbed Webley's leg with a hand pulser, ending up kicked to the side but Webley shut down.

"Doctor?" Angie eyed him.

"Angie, are you, ok?" the Doctor looked at her, "Listen take LJ and look after Artie, ok?"

Angie ran over and took the baby, rushing him back to her brother, away from the madman.

~8~

"Got a backup plan?" Clara asked as she and Evy were pushed across the back of the courtyard by the Cybers, closing in on them.

"Should be happening in a mo," she nodded.

"Upgrade in progress," a Cyber stated.

~8~

"Your move," the Doctor began, "But before you take it, just so you know, sacrificing my queen was the _best_ possible move I could have made. The Time Lords invented chess. It's our game. And if you don't avoid MY trap, it gives ME mate in three moves."

"How?" the Cyber-Planner rolled his eyes.

~8~

"I've got no charge left!" the heavy man stated as he threw the gun aside.

Clara picked up a mace but the Cyber advancing knocked it away.

"That backup plan would be very useful right now," Clara murmured.

~8~

" _How_?" the Cyber-Planner demanded.

"You see, that .238 of the brain…that _wasn't_ unclaimed," the Doctor smirked, "That portion belongs to my Link, that's where our connection is based. So really, _I_ control this brain, which will allow me to do _this_!" he grabbed the pulser off of Porridge.

~8~

Evy moved in front of Clara and focused as much as she could and, moments later, the Cybers were thrown back onto their backs…Evy falling to her knees and gripping her head as a pain shot through it.

~8~

The Doctor grit his teeth, feeling the pain Evy was in at the use of her powers, "Oh, come on," he called to the Cyber-Planner, "Call yourself a chess-playing robot?"

"How?" the Cyber-Planner demanded.

~8~

"Evy!" Clara ran to her side, "What is it?" she gasped, seeing Evy pale, blood pouring from her nose, "What happened?!"

~8~

"You figure it out!" the Doctor snapped, placing the pulsar on the table before him.

~8~

"Cybermen are heavy," Evy panted.

~8~

"Or don't you have the processing power? Hmm?" he winked at LJ and tweaked his bow-tie.

~8~

"What did you do?"

"Telekinesis," Evy groaned as Clara helped her up, "Shouldn't use it…but it helps in tricky spots."

~8~

"What are you doing?" the Doctor gasped, grabbing his sonic, seeing in Evy's mind that the Cybers in the process of getting up...froze.

"Doctor. Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, Doctor!" the Cyber-Planner smirked, "I'm pulling in extra processing power. Three million Cyber-Brains are working on one tiny chess problem. How long do you think it's going to take us to solve it?"

"That's cheating!"

"No, no, no, no, no. Just pulling in the local resources."

~8~

"Come on," Evy tugged Clara on, around the Cybers.

"But why have they stopped?" Clara asked.

"Don't question it, just be glad they have," and pulled her off.

~8~

"There's no way you can get to mate in three moves," the Cyber-Planner remarked.

"Three moves!" the Doctor insisted, "Want to know what they are?"

"You're lying!"

"No!" he smirked, "Move one," he held up the sonic, "Turn on sonic screwdriver," he flicked it on, "Move two, activate pulsar," he flashed the pulser, "Move three, amplify pulsar!" he grabbed it and slipped it onto his hand, "See ya!" he shouted, slamming it against his face, biting his lip to not scream in front of LJ, to not jerk or cry out, to make it look painless.

"That's cheating!" the Cyber-Planner cried his last words as the metal mappings fell off the Doctor's face.

He panted, falling forward in the chair, "Just taking advantage of the local resources," he grinned, reaching out to tickle LJ before throwing the pulser over his shoulder, "Ah, hello," he grinned as the others ran in, "Can someone untie me, please?"

Evy smiled and ran over kissing him deeply, making LJ groan at the embarrassing sight and the Doctor give an unhappy noise when she pulled away, "Welcome back," she whispered before moving behind him and sonicing the ropes undone.

"What happened to the Cyber-Planner?" Clara eyed him, moving to LJ as the boy crawled across the chessboard to hug his daddy as soon as he was free.

"Out of my head and redistributed across three million Cybermen," he grinned, standing and hugging LJ tightly.

"Who are about to wake up, kill us, and start constructing a spaceship," Evy reminded him, moving to get the bomb Porridge had set down.

"We need to destroy this planet before they can get off it," the Doctor nodded.

"The captain," the heavy man said, "She can't activate the voice command, she's dead."

"I think you should ask Porridge," Angie remarked, her and Artie standing again.

"Why?" Clara looked at her.

"Well, he _is_ the Emperor. I bet HE knows the activation codes," Porridge looked down as they stared at him and then Angie, "Oh, come on, it's obvious. He looks exactly like he does on the coin and on the waxwork, except they made him a bit taller, but...look, am I the only one paying attention to ANYTHING around here?"

"You are full of surprises," Clara smiled at her before turning to Porridge, "Porridge?"

He sighed, "She's right."

"So you can save us?"

"We all die in the end. Does it matter how?" he looked down as Evy moved the bomb in front of him.

"What do we do?" the ginger man asked.

"I don't want to be Emperor. If I activate that bomb, it's all over."

"And if you don't, three million Cybermen will spread across the galaxy," the Doctor stated, "Isn't that worth dying for?"

"Doctor..."

"Three _million_ Cybermen!"

"The bomb, the throne, it's all connected. I just have to say, 'This is Emperor Ludens Nimrod Kendrick, called Longstaff the 41st, the defender of humanity, imperator of known space. Activate the Desolator,'" he looked down again as it turned on, "And it's done."

"Not now, I didn't mean _now_!" the Doctor shouted, scanning it with his sonic. He meant wait till they got the TARDIS there to save them all and THEN activate it.

"It'll blow in about 80 seconds. Easily long enough for the Imperial Flagship to locate me from my identification, warp-jump into orbit, and transmat us to the State Room," he nodded and closed his eyes…opening them to see everyone looking around, having been teleported to a rather large, warm room with purple accents, a large window behind them with the planet in view.

The Doctor spun around, "Oh, yeah! Nice ship. Bit big. Not blue enough eh boyo?" he asked LJ.

"No!" LJ agreed.

"Porridge," Evy called, "There's a blue police telephone box at 6-ultra-19P. Could you have it transmatted here before the planet blows?"

Porridge frowned a moment at the odd request but shrugged and looked at a woman at a control panel, "Did you get that?"

The woman nodded and got to work, the panel beeping once the transmat had been completed.

"And that's that," Porridge nodded, turning to the window, "76, 77, 78, 79..."

"Ready for some fireworks boyo?" the Doctor asked, holding LJ as the planet exploded, barely shaking the ship.

"Farewell, Cyberiad. You know...it was GOOD to get away. Good to be a person and not to be lonely or Emperor of 1,000 galaxies, with everybody waiting for ME to tell them what to do."

"Can't you run away again?" Artie asked him.

"They'll be keeping a close eye on me this time. That's what happens when you're Emperor, loneliest job in the Universe."

"You don't have to be lonely," Clara told him.

The Time Lords smiled at that.

"I _don't_ ," Porridge seemed to realize as he turned to Clara and moved onto one knee, "Clara...will you marry me?"

"What?" Clara stared.

"He said..." Artie moved to repeat it.

"She heard what he said," Angie nudged him.

"You're smart and you're beautiful, and I've never met anyone like you before," she really was, remarkable, compassionate, good with children, just what a Empress had to be, "And being Emperor won't be as hard if you're by my side. And you'd rule 1,000 galaxies…"

Before anyone could speak...a little, though quite loud, "NO!" came out. They looked over at LJ as the boy squirmed in the Doctor's hold, "No, no, no," he muttered over and over till the Doctor put him down, amused. The boy fell on his bum before pushing himself up and waddling around Artie and Angie to Clara's side, grabbing her finger, tugging her, "Mine!"

Evy and the Doctor burst out laughing, ' _He is JUST like you,_ ' Evy told him, remembering his 'Gimme's from when he's regenerated last time.

"Mine!" LJ insisted, pouting at Porridge, who looked rather amused at being challenged by a toddler, "My Clara!"

Clara laughed and put her arm around LJ, pulling the boy onto her lap to tickle his stomach and cuddle him a moment, "Sorry Porridge," she smiled at him, "Looks like I'm spoken for."

"Ah well," Porridge nodded, "Who am I to steal another...man's...woman," he laughed.

"But that's stupid," Angie shook her head, "You could be _queen_ of the _Universe_. How can you say no to that for a _baby_?"

"Big!" LJ huffed at being called a baby, he was almost 2!

"When someone asks you if you want to be queen of the Universe, you say, yes," Angie continued, ignoring LJ for a moment, "You watch. One day, I'LL be queen of the Universe."

Porridge smiled at that and stood, "Of course, I could have you all executed, which is what a proper Emperor would do."

"You're not actually going to do that, though, are…" the Doctor began when Evy whacked him.

"Of course not," Evy nudged him.

"Go on, get out of here, all of you, before I change my mind," Porridge joked.

The Doctor grinned and headed for the TARDIS, watching as Clara picked up LJ, the little boy still glaring daggers at Porridge as the man laughed.

~8~

Clara was leaning against the console as the children said goodbye to the Doctor and Evy, LJ having been put to bed after an exciting day.

"Thank you for having me," Artie shook the Doctor's hand and then Evy's, "It was very interesting."

"It was our pleasure," Evy smiled at him.

"Thank you for coming," the Doctor agreed.

"Now for you missy," Evy turned to Angie who shifted, seeming to feel bad about how she'd treated the two.

"We've got something for you," the Doctor smiled and ran around the console, Angie following, "It's not from us, it's from the TARDIS. Ah!" he spun around, "New phone," he handed over her mobile to make up for the one the mites had eaten earlier.

"Thanks!" Angie grinned.

"You're welcome," Evy nodded.

"Sorry I said this box was stupid," Angie shook their hands before heading out after Artie.

"Bye!" they waved.

"Bye!"

"Thanks Clara," Artie called, "Thanks Clara's boyfriend's parents."

They laughed at that as the children left, they'd taken to teasing Clara and LJ about that.

"Thank you," Clara smiled as she moved to lean next to them.

"For what?" the Doctor looked over.

"Kids' day out, getting us off the planet alive, whatever you were doing with the Cybermen...good night," she walked to the doors, "See you next Wednesday."

"Knowing this one," Evy laughed, "It'll be the next _next_ Wednesday, or last Wednesday..."

"Alright, alright," the Doctor huffed as Clara left, "One of the Wednesdays."

They waited until the doors shut and Clara had left completely before sighing.

"The Impossible Girl," he sighed, "The human version at least. A mystery wrapped in an enigma squeezed into a skirt."

"I hope…" Evy began, "I hope whatever she is…isn't _bad_ ," she looked up at him, "It'll beak LJ's little hearts if she turns out to be an enemy."

"I know," he sighed, putting an arm around her, "I know."

That was the truth, they just...didn't know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did anyone else die laughing at LJ's little clingy moment with Clara and Porridge :) I think I teared up laughing so hard, imagining a baby storming up to an emperor and shouting 'mine!' lol :'D Idk why I find it THAT funny :)
> 
> Next chapter...there are six people attending a conference call. J has a bit of an identity crisis. Clara and J reverse roles for a moment.


	28. The Name of the Doctor (Part 1)

In 1893 a woman veiled in black stood outside a jail cell, listening to the mad man within whimpering and whispering.

"Do you hear the Whisper Men? The Whisper Men are near. If you hear the Whisper Men, then turn away your ear. Do not hear the Whisper Men, whatever else you do. For once you've heard the Whisper Men, they'll stop and look at you," he turned his head sharply to look at her as well, "One word from you could save me from the rope."

"Then you may rely on my silence," a woman, who could only be Madame Vastra, countered with a hiss.

"I have information. Valuable information."

"Are you bargaining for your life?" she scoffed, disgusted, "You have the blood of _fourteen women_ on your hands. There are no words you can speak that will save your neck."

The man leapt to his feet and rushed to the bars, "Little John Smith!" he shouted, making her pause as she had turned to leave, "Captain Jonathan Ianto Smith," he smirked, seeing her stiffen at the full name he'd uttered, "Ah, yes. I know all about him, about his mother, his father…your dangerous friends."

"How?" Vastra turned to him.

"In the babble of the world, there are whispers, if you know how to listen. The Doctor has a secret, you know…"

"He has many. As does his Link. And most certainly his child," she had seen it herself, all the secrets J had to keep for the sake of the timelines.

"The Doctor has _one_ he will take to the grave. And it is discovered," he laughed, "Well?"

Vastra sighed knowing he'd won.

He'd live...for now.

~8~

_"The trap is set for the Time Lords' friends. They will travel where the Time Lords end."_

~8~

Vastra and Jenny breathed deep as they awoke to find themselves seated around a hexagon shaped table, four other seats open. It was a warm room lit through lights filtering through screens in the walls with moving floral patterns, like a lava lamp.

"Oh, I like the new desktop," Jenny smiled.

"I was getting a little bored of the Taj Mahal," Vastra nodded, looking at the table as tea appeared, "The tea should be superb. It's drawn from one of my favorite memories."

It was a dream world, one that connected all who used a special candle together allowing them to speak across time and space, altering their brainwaves to operate on a specific one, so long as they slept at the same moment. It was a gift from a very dear child.

"Strax," she looked over as she poured them tea, to see the potato appear, "Good of you to join us."

"It had better be important," Strax huffed, "I was in the middle of destroying some very pleasant primitives."

"I apologize for the interruption, but there is urgent news concerning the Doctor and his family."

"Who else is coming?" Strax eyed the three empty seats.

"The women," she replied, "And our benefactor," she smiled as Clara Oswald dropped into a seat, nearly falling onto the table from the entrance. She'd sent Clara a letter from the past, doused in the chemical that would allow them to connect, "So glad you could make it."

"Where am I?" Clara asked, looking around.

"Exactly where you were, but sleeping," Jenny smiled at her.

"Time travel has always been possible in dreams I've been told," Vastra smiled, "We are awaiting only two more participants."

"Oh, no," Strax grimaced, realizing who the other woman might be, "Not the one with the gigantic head?"

"It's _hair_ , Strax," Jenny shook her head.

"Hair?"

There was a puff of smoke as the seat to Clara's right was filled with a woman, River Song, dressed in comfortable clothes reminiscent of the Cal's world in the Library, "Madame Vastra," she noticed the lizard woman.

"Professor," Vastra smiled, "Help yourself to some tea."

"Why, thank you," she took a cup and lifted it to her lips, only for it to become a champagne flute.

"How did you do that?" Jenny eyed her.

"Disgracefully," she smirked, "Hello Jenny," she nodded, "Strax," and then paused at Clara.

"Ah," Vastra began, "Perhaps you two haven't met. This is…"

"Clara Oswald," River breathed, staring at her as though she couldn't believe it, before she smiled, like she was about to witness something incredible.

"Hello?" Clara frowned, not sure who this woman was, "Um, sorry, but…who are you?"

"Professor…"

"Jingle Mist," another voice said, a man.

They looked over to see that LJ, older LJ...J...had appeared in the seat to River's right, the woman in between him and Clara.

"River Song," River corrected, "And you're _late_ ," she huffed at J.

He rolled his eyes, "I'd be late to my own funeral."

"You just HAD to inherit your father's sense of timing didn't you?"

"Oh shut up Riv," he pouted.

"Make me J."

"Watch it," he pointed at her, "I know every tickle spot, timegirl."

"And I know where you keep your beloved sonic, spaceman," she countered, quick as ever, "Don't challenge me, you know you'll lose."

He huffed.

"Cap'n?" Clara asked quietly, her voice soft.

There was something about River and J, seeing them interact like that, flirt a bit, that just… _hurt_ …to see, that made her feel like the air had been sucked out of her and not in a good way. But she didn't say anything about it, no, she'd promised herself, no matter what, she _wouldn't_ come between J and anyone. She understood now, she remembered Evy mentioning River Song all the time, how she was J's best friend and she knew there was nothing romantic between the two. But to see them THAT flirty…it upset her and it shouldn't have. It couldn't. Because one day, he'd act like that around his Link, worse if the Doctor and Evy were anything to go by, and if she was still the companion at the time, she would have to deal with it, in silence. Because if he flirted like that with his Link, then he was happy.

J looked over at her.

"Sorry," she winced, realizing that River Song had apparently met her already yet she hadn't met the woman, so the same could be true for J, "Um, have we met yet?"

Time travel, it was hard to keep it straight in your head. The J she'd met at the shop she had no idea where he was in his timeline, early she'd say, the one in Sweetville still in school, and the one at Akhaten already graduated, having adventures with River for quite a while it seemed…where was this one? Had he even met her as an adult yet and not a baby?

"Yeah," he nodded, staring at her with a soft smile, "Yeah, we have. Hello Clar."

She smiled at that, hearing his own unique name for her. No one had ever really given her a nickname before, not much you could do with a name as short as Clara, but it touched her that J had done so, even if he did so with everyone.

River raised a subtle eyebrow, looking between them, seeing them just _looking_ at each other and it took everything she had not to grin widely, she'd never seen J stare at another girl the way he was Clara no matter how often she tried to set him up with a woman, oh this was Christmas!

"How are you Clar?" he continued, "Um, _when_ are you?"

"Fine," she said quickly, "Um, we went to Hedgewick's World…"

He pouted at that, almost looking like he might be about to glare at the memory, "Porridge…"

Clara felt a thrill go through her at seeing that expression, at how he sounded like Porridge's name was some sort of foul disease, at knowing that remembering Porridge's proposal to her had made him as pouty about it now as then.

"Still yours though," she countered, holding up her wrist where she was wearing the bracelet his baby-self had given her, "I mean!" her eyes widened though when she realized what she'd said, "I mean, the baby…I mean…LJ...HE sort of stopped the wedding remember?"

He laughed a bit at that, "I was a very clingy baby," he reached out and put a finger on River's lips without even looking, "Don't say I'm _still_ a clingy baby Riv."

She rolled her eyes and pulled his hand off her mouth, though she had to smirk at how, even though he usually was able to do things without looking at her, he still had yet to tear his eyes away from Clara, oh she would have LOVED to see this years ago.

"When are you?" Clara asked him.

River eyed her, just KNOWING there was a second reason for her question, but only Clara knew what it was…was he so far in the future that he'd found his Link?

"Um," he fidgeted a bit, finally pulling his attention way from Clara to look at River a moment before glancing down at the table, starting to play with the teacup set up before him.

"J?" Jenny frowned, worried at how he wasn't answering, usually they couldn't shut the man up.

J winced, "Don't...don't call me J. Call me the Captain."

"But you tell everyone to call you J..."

Unlike the Doctor, he liked being called J. Smith more so than the Captain, using the Captain at times when it was needed as an alias, just like Evy he was using a normal human name.

"...because _I_ called you J first," River breathed, working it out, not needing more than that and his silence to realize what was wrong, that was how well she knew him, "J..." she reached out and put a hand on his arm, stilling his fiddling, just like Evy's last incarnation, he fiddled, but more when he was anxious than anything, "You've just come from the Library haven't you?"

He sighed and rubbed his face with his other hand, Clara's heart breaking to see him so…sad and weary and tired…

"Yeah," he said, quiet, "I um, went to see mum and dad, MY mum and dad…been knocking around on my own a bit…"

"J," River cut in, "I _told_ you to find someone! You promised you would. You swore if anything happened to me, when my life ended, with me as an old woman, that you'd finally take a companion."

"Your life didn't end as an old woman though," he pointed out, "So the promise means nothing does it?"

River huffed, leave it to him to find some way to get out of keeping a promise. He was just like the Doctor, the only one she'd _ever_ seen the man keep a promise to was his Link and son.

"Perhaps we should get down to the business at hand," Vastra began, seeing the subject turning dark.

"That might be good, dear, yes," Jenny agreed quickly, not wanting them to get upset.

Vastra nodded and waved her hand, bringing up a holographic projection, a 3D image of the man from the jail, "Clarence DeMarco. Murderer, under sentence of death. He offered us this in exchange for his life."

"Space time coordinates?" River and J said at the same time as, with a wave of Vastra's hand, the image changed to stars and lines and circles that made Clara frown in confusion, feeling like she recognized them, like they were familiar, but not having a clue as to why. She glance at River, that woman was so smart…she could see why J wouldn't take a companion after her, who could live up to her?

"This, Mister DeMarco claims, is the location of the Doctor's greatest secret."

"Which is?" Clara turned to them, if for anything to pull her gaze away from J and River.

"We don't know," Jenny stated, "It's a secret."

"The Doctor does not discuss his secrets with anyone except his Link," Vastra began.

"And me," J waved, making her smile, "Hello."

"If you're still entertaining the idea that you are an exception to this rule, ask yourself one question. What is his name?"

Jenny flinched as something touched her cheek.

"I really don't see how it's _that_ big a secret," J huffed, " _I_ know it, mum knows it, JD knows it, Riv knows it…"

"What?" Clara looked at the woman, she understood J and Evy and Jenny knowing it, they were family, but River? "You know his name? He told you?"

"And Evy's as well," River nodded, smiling, though she did not add that she knew J's too, she could tell this was a bit overwhelming for Clara.

"How? It's forbidden!"

River eyed her a moment at that before she shrugged, "Genetics."

Clara looked confused, feeling something tugging at her thoughts about that, "What do you mean?"

"Time Lords are only ever to tell other Time Lords their names but no other species," J recited, "Riv here is human plus Time Lord, JUST Time Lord enough," he nudged her with a smile, "A huge stretch but it got around the rules."

"So…you have to be a Time Lord to know a Time Lord's name?" Clara tried to follow, already knowing about River being human plus thanks to Evy, but…something about only Time Lords knowing felt wrong…like…a name had been learned outside of those rules, like...it _could_ be learned outside them…

"It's a tradition," J shrugged, "On Gallifrey your people know your name, off-world though there's only one time we can tell someone of another species our name. We tend to just use titles though, like the Captain, or nicknames like LJ…"

"Jenny is their only child that doesn't have a Gallifreyan name," River added.

Clara looked down, feeing…bad…she knew what that meant, for River to know that Jenny didn't have a Gallifreyan name...meant she knew that J did, that River probably knew what J's real name was and… _she_ didn't…

"So," she swallowed, shaking her head, River was his best friend and a Time Lord, it wouldn't do for her to focus on that when it was beyond her control, she shouldn't feel jealous, she was human, nothing could be done about it. She looked at River, "You're J's friend, then?"

River nodded, Clara was so sweet in trying to be subtle, "His best friend, and good friends with his parents too. Thank God J inherited Evy's sense of maintaining contact…"

"Have they not contacted you?" Vastra blinked at her.

"He doesn't like endings," River sighed, "And Evy…doesn't know how to."

Jenny shivered, looking around.

"So!" J shouted, clapping his hands as he leaned forward, trying to get them off of so much serious talk, the mass murderer and his father's secrets was a much lighter subject in his book, "What else did this DeMarco bloke tell you? He didn't just buy his life with some cheap coordinates, not with you Aunt V. How did he prove their value?"

"One word, only," Vastra replied.

"Which is…" he gestured her to continue, his Aunt V was always so dramatic, and his mum thought his dad had a flair for it.

"A word I've heard in connection with the Doctor before."

J sat back, as though realizing what it might be, "Oh don't say…"

"Trenzalore."

"And you said it," he rubbed his head.

"How exactly did he describe what he was giving you?" River stiffened, seeming to recognize the word too, Clara looking between them, confused as to what Trenzalore was.

Vastra gestured at the projection as it turned back to DeMarco, "The Doctor has _one_ he will take to the grave. And it is discovered."

"You misunderstood V," J stiffened.

"Ma'am, I'm sorry," Jenny gasped, "I just realize I forgot to lock the doors."

"It doesn't matter, Jenny," Vastra called, frowning at J, "What misunderstanding? Tell me."

"No, ma'am, please. I should've locked up before we went into the trance."

"Jenny, it doesn't matter!"

"Someone's broken in," Jenny said, tears in her eyes, "Someone's with us. I can _hear_ them."

"Jenny, are you all right?"

"Sorry, ma'am. So sorry. So sorry. So sorry. I think I've been murdered…" a tear fell from her eyes as she started to fade away.

"Jenny!"

"What's happened to her?" Clara gasped.

"Jenny, can you hear me?" River called.

"Speak to us, boy!" Strax commanded.

"Jenny!" Vastra reached for her but her hand went through her.

"You're under attack!" J shouted, "You need to wake up, now!"

"Just wake up," River ran over and slapped Vastra, "Do it!"

"You too, Straxy," J threw River's champagne at the potato, "Wake up!"

"Cap'n!" Clara jumped back as pale men with no eyes and sharp teeth in suits stepped out of the shadows.

"Clara get behind me," J called, pulling out his sonic, now with a dark red tip, as he aimed it at the men, River and Clara just a step behind him.

"Tell the Doctor," they whispered, "Tell his Link. Tell their son."

"Tell them what?" Clara gasped.

The hologram flickered, the face of Dr. Simeon appearing, making J glare, recalling what happened to Clara the last time the man was involved, "Their friends are lost forever more, unless they go to Trenzalore."

"No!" River cried, "You can't say that," she turned to Clara.

"We can't go there," J glared, "You know we can't!"

"Angie?" Clara looked over, hearing the Doctor calling out in the distance, "Artie?"

"The Doctor can never go to Trenzalore!" River shouted.

"Am I getting warm?"

"I'm sorry Clar," J turned to her, cupping her face in his hands, "You need to wake up," before he flicked the sonic at her…the last thing she saw before her world went black...was J's blue eyes staring at her...

Clara gasped awake to find herself looking into a pair of startling blue eyes as she laid on her bed.

"Clara!" LJ cheered, clapping and bouncing on the bed as he sat beside her on it.

There was a soft chuckle from the doorway and she looked up to see Evy there, leaning on it, "We found you on the floor, and put you on the bed, LJ refused to leave till you woke up, he wanted to be the first to say good morning."

Clara smiled at LJ and poked his stomach, "Thanks handsome."

"Pretty!" LJ poked her nose back.

"Thanks," she laughed at his compliment…

"Angie?" she heard the Doctor calling from downstairs, "Artie?"

"Do I want to know what he's doing?" she asked Evy.

"Am I getting warm? Am I getting warm?"

"Oh I think you'd enjoy _seeing_ it more than me telling you," Evy walked over to help LJ off the bed, taking his hand as they headed out of the room.

Clara sighed and got up as well, stopping at the top of the stairs to see the Doctor, blindfolded, and wandering around the first floor, "Am I getting warm?"

Clara looked at Evy as though to ask 'Are you joking?'

"Look, I'm pretty sure you have to tell me if I'm getting warm."

But she just gestured at the stairs with a smile, the two of them heading down, LJ climbing down the stairs himself, very proud of that.

"I'm...I'm...I'm pretty sure that's in the rules…"

"Doctor?" Clara called as they reached the bottom.

"Ha!" he spun around, "Clara. How are you?"

"Daddy!" LJ ran to the Doctor, hugging his legs.

He laughed and picked LJ up, still blindfolded, "Don't worry, everything is under control."

"What are you doing?" Clara eyed him.

"Well," Evy began, "Mr. Maitland had to go next door, so the Doctor volunteered us to watch the kids."

"They wanted to go to the cinema," the Doctor nodded, "But I said no. I said no, not until you wake up. I was _very_ firm."

"You can guess what happened next."

"They suggested a game of Blind Man's Bluff?" Clara asked.

"Yes," the Doctor pointed at her, "Good guess. Where are they?" he looked around, still with the blindfold on.

"At the cinema," Clara told him, pulling the blindfold off, her voice soft, a slightly…upset quality to it.

"The little _Daleks_ ," he muttered, poking LJ in the stomach, "You'll listen to me at least won't you boyo?"

"No!" LJ said with a wide smile.

"Yeah," he sighed, "Didn't think so."

"Clara…" Evy frowned, seeing the girl solemn and quiet, "What's wrong?'

~8~

Clara stood near the back of the dining room, making tea, as the little family of Time Lords sat, quiet, on an armchair. Well, the Doctor was on the armchair, Evy was on his lap with LJ between them, the boy surprisingly quiet.

"So the lady with the funny name and the space hair was River Song?"

"River asked Vastra for the exact words," Evy frowned, looking at the Doctor, running her fingers through his hair, "What were they?"

Clara picked up the tea and made her way over, "The Doctor has _one_ he will take to the grave. And it is discov…" she stopped suddenly, seeing tears in the Doctor's eyes, "Doctor?"

"Sorry," he wiped his face, his voice breaking, "And it was Trenzalore? Definitely Trenzalore?"

"Yeah."

"Oh dear," he sniffled, "Sorry," before picking up LJ and rushing out of the house.

"Give me a mo," Evy murmured, following him.

~8~

Clara slowly entered the TARDIS and headed down the stairs to see the Doctor sitting under the console, LJ in his arms, sitting on his leg while Evy knelt before him, holding his hands, talking quietly to him, seeming to have calmed him down quite a bit, as only she could.

"...already have a backup plan," Evy was saying as she came to the foot of the stairs, "You know me," she smiled, leaning in to kiss the Doctor, "And they always work."

The Doctor smiled, resting his forehead to hers, "I love that about you," he told her, smiling at her as he brushed that one lock of her hair that never seemed to go anywhere, behind her ear.

"I love everything about you," Evy squeezed his hand, "And I am NOT about to let anyone take you from me, not for a good long while. So..." she looked at him.

He nodded, kissing her forehead, "It'll be alright," he agreed, trusting her backup plans, they had saved his life on more than one occasion.

Clara smiled at them, not wanting to interrupt...though someone else had other ideas.

"Clara!" LJ cheered as soon as he saw her.

She offered them a wince in apology, before she stepped closer, "What's Trenzalore about?"

"Trenzalore," Evy stood, "Is a place we've heard far too many times from far too many people."

"Always suspected what it was," the Doctor nodded, "Never wanted to find out myself."

"Riv!" LJ poked him.

The Doctor had to smile at that, "Yes, River would know. River always knew," he looked at Evy as she squeezed his hand.

' _Whatever you want to do dear,_ ' she promised.

' _We have to go,_ ' he sighed.

She nodded, "Clara can I have your hand please?"

"Why?" Clara asked even as she walked over and held out her hand.

"The coordinates you saw will still be somewhere in your head, the TARDIS just has to link into it," she pulled a wire down from above her, "I'm going to connect you to the TARDIS telepathic circuit."

"That thing that lets me hear English?"

"Just the one," she nodded.

"Ow!" Clara cried as her hand was stabbed, shooting Evy a small glare, "Ok, what is Trenzalore exactly then? Is that your big secret?" she eyed the Doctor.

"No," he said, barely paying attention, wanting to play with his son, he was…scared…and, no matter if he was angry or upset or scared, being with his little boy always calmed him and brought a smile to his face, reminded him of one half the things he had to fight for, him and Evy.

"Ok, what then?"

"Clara there is only one real rule of time travel, and that is…you must never _ever_ find yourself at your own grave. _That_ was what they were talking about. 'The Doctor has _one_ he will take to the grave. And it is discovered.' It wasn't the _secret_ that was discovered but the _grave_."

The Doctor rubbed his head, "He was talking about my grave. Trenzalore is where I'm buried."

" _We're_ buried," Evy corrected.

"Don't you dare…" he turned to her, setting LJ down, the boy moving over to Clara as the girl pulled the wire out of her hand.

"You really want me to go on like that after you die Doctor?" she asked, sending him the memory of her in Donna's Parallel world.

He winced, no…no he didn't, "But…LJ…" he looked at the boy as Clara picked him up.

"Will have Jack and Sarah Jane and River and _all_ our companions to watch over him."

They wouldn't be happy about that, about leaving him, they would hate it actually, every parent's worst nightmare, but their actual death was FAR in the future if they had anything to say about it and, by then, LJ would be J, he'd be old enough to take care of himself (not that it ever reassured a parent) and they were NOT going to leave him as a toddler, not at all.

"How can you have a…" Clara began, covering LJ's ears, "Grave?" she whispered also for good measure.

"Because we all do," the Doctor sighed, moving to take Evy's hand, heading up the console, "Somewhere out there in the future, waiting for us."

Clara looked down when she felt someone take her own hand to see LJ poking at where the wire had cut her before he kissed her palm, and looked at her expectantly.

"Much better," she smiled, brushing her nose against his, making him laugh, "Thanks."

He beamed up at her, before she turned to follow the Doctor and Evy up the stairs, seeing the Doctor was _still_ talking despite her not being behind him, "The trouble with time travel, you can actually end up visiting."

"But you're not going to. You just said it's the one place you must never go."

"We _have_ to go though," Evy explained as the Doctor set the controls, "To save Vastra and Strax and Jenny."

"They," the Doctor sighed, "They cared for me during the dark times. Never questioned me, never judged me, they were just...kind. I owe them. I have a duty."

"But first," Evy cut in, looking at him as she ran a hand through LJ's hair as the boy cuddled against Clara, sucking his thumb, his other hand curled around Clara's hair.

"Jack?" he guessed.

She nodded "Jack."

_They_ might be willing to go there but they would NOT let LJ within even 1,000 miles of that planet.

~8~

Clara waved as LJ waved at her, in the arms of his uncle in Cardiff, watching Evy and the Doctor closely as they looked at their boy solemnly before heading into the TARDIS, "Are we really going to leave him like that?"

"Our grave is no place for our son," the Doctor said, closing the doors behind them.

"Well," a voice said behind the rotor, "For your _baby_ son," and then J peeked his head around the side, "Hello!"

"J!" Evy smiled, hugging him, not seeing him wince at the name, "You're our son, it's no place for you either."

"Mum," he looked at her, "You _really_ think I'm gonna let you or dad go through this without me? I knew where you were going as a baby, I knew you wouldn't bring HIM, I've been planning this for ages. And I go by the Captain now. And besides," he grinned, moving over to Clara and putting an arm around her shoulders, "If Clara's going, I HAVE to go too eh? Keep an eye on her and all..."

Clara smiled at that.

Evy shook her head at them, "There's not a single hope of telling either of you this is too dangerous, is there?"

"None at all," they both said at once.

"How can we save them?" Clara added.

"Apparently," the Doctor had to smile at how determined his son was, "By breaking into our own tomb."

He pulled a lever and Evy and J sprang into action, helping him pilot as Clara fell back against a side-chair, the TARDIS shaking and jolting and turning and trembling worse than ever before.

"What's that?" Clara shouted above the noise.

"She's just figured out where we're going," the Doctor answered.

"And doesn't want us to go," Evy added, struggling to help him pilot the box.

"They're about to cross their own timelines," J turned to Clara, "In the most epic way imaginable!" he laughed, "I think it's bloody brilliant..."

"Language!" Evy shouted.

"But the TARDIS doesn't like it so she's fighting it," J continued.

"Hang on!" the Doctor cried, "Hang on!"

Evy grabbed one of the two levers the Doctor was struggling to move and, together, they pushed them up, only to jump back as sparks flew out of the console, sending them flying back into the railings…well…the adults at least.

J was flung back…right onto Clara's lap.

He laughed even as the power started to shut down, "We need to stop meeting like this," he winked at her, recalling how she'd fallen into his lap in Sweetville.

"Well when you get old enough to want to sit on an actual chair, we'll talk," she shot back, thinking more on his baby self constantly sitting on her lap, he seemed to prefer that to chairs, had even cried 'hard!' once when she'd asked him why he didn't want a chair of his own.

He grinned and got up, offering her his hand.

"Thanks boyo," the Doctor rolled his eyes, "Help HER up and not your old parents."

"Not as old as MY parents," J shot them a cheeky grin.

"Watch it," Evy pointed at him as the Doctor helped her up.

"Now what?" Clara asked as she looked around the quiet TARDIS.

"She doesn't want to land," the Doctor sighed, "She's shut down."

"So we're not there?"

"We're close at least," Evy remarked as she headed to the doors, opening one side as the Doctor opened the other, looking down at the planet below.

"Ok, so that's where I end up," the Doctor sighed.

"Where _we_ end up," Evy corrected.

J squeezed Clara's hand that he was still holding from helping her up as they headed to the door to look out. The planet was gray, thick smog-like clouds over it, with angry volcanic cracks along it.

Not at all the place Clara would _ever_ picture the Doctor or Evy to be buried. She squeezed J's hand in return, seeing the sad look in his eyes, this was NOT the place he thought his parents would end up either, it was so...wrong.

"Always thought maybe I'd retire," the Doctor murmured, "Take up watercolors or bee-keeping, or something. Apparently not."

"Good thing too," J smiled at him, reaching out to put a hand on his shoulder, "You're rubbish at watercolors and the bees attacked you last time."

The Doctor smiled at that.

"So, how do we get down there?" Clara tilted her head at the planet, "Jump?"

"Nothing quiet that dramatic," Evy smiled, "We fall…" she tapped Clara in the forehead, unbalancing her as she fell backwards…right into J's arms as he winked at her, making her blush.

"She's turned off everything except the anti-gravs," J twirled her back up, moving his arm around her shoulders in the process as he pulled out his sonic, Evy shaking her head at that, but having given up asking when he got his first sonic, "Guess what I'm turning off."

"Oh don't do that!" Evy shouted…

But he'd flicked his sonic and they fell to the floor as the TARDIS fell herself…

~8~

The TARDIS hit the ground so hard that they could hear the cracking of glass echo in the room. The Doctor got up and headed to the door, seeing a crack in one of the windows, "Oops."

"You know we're going to get hell for this later right?" Evy shot a small glare at J.

He just winced at that, remembering quite a few scoldings from the TARDIS in the past.

"Sorry!" he whisper-hissed to the TARDIS, wincing again as he heard a deep, angry hum from within, "We better get out, quickly," he took Clara's hand and pulled her out of the box after his parents. They stepped out into an old graveyard, lightning flashing ominously in the dark sky.

"You ok?" Clara asked the Time Lords as they walked over, "You're visiting your own grave. Anyone would be scared."

"It's not that Clar," J explained, "They're time travelers, probably the most famous ever. Been everywhere, done everything…and that's left a mark."

"Like what?"

"Our grave is potentially the most dangerous place in the Universe," the Doctor cut in.

"Well then," Evy smiled, "Shall we?"

The Doctor smiled at her smile and held out an arm to her to take, the two of them walking on.

"Gravestones are a big basic?" Clara spoke with J as they followed.

"It's a battlefield graveyard," J shrugged, before continuing, as though knowing what she was about to ask, "They're soldiers. The bigger the gravestone, the higher the…rank…" he trailed off as they saw a ginormous TARDIS standing before them.

"It's a hell of a monument," Clara blinked.

"It's the TARDIS," the Doctor breathed, his hearts breaking.

"I can see that."

"You misunderstood Clara," Evy shook her head, "When a TARDIS is dying, sometimes the dimension dams start breaking down…"

_A size leak_ …

"They used to call it a size leak," Evy continued as Clara stiffened, "All the bigger on the inside starts to leak to the outside and it grows."

"When I say that's the TARDIS," the Doctor sighed, "I don't mean it _looks_ like the TARDIS, I mean it actually _is_ the TARDIS. Our TARDIS from the future."

"What else would they bury us in," Evy smiled at him.

"Come on," he tugged her on.

"Clara," Clara heard a voice whisper.

She stopped short and turned, seeing _River_ standing there.

"Clara?" J frowned, not seeming to see River, but worried about why Clara had suddenly stopped.

"Don't speak," River warned her, "Don't say my name. He can't see or hear me, neither can the Doctor or Evy. Only you can."

"Everything alright?" J asked.

"Well, come on, then," the Doctor yelled.

"We're mentally linked," River explained, "It's the conference call. I kept the line open."

"Who are you talking to Clara?" J eyed her and then the area around.

"No one," Clara turned to him, "I was just…looking at the stones."

"Clara we really need to go," Evy said as she and the Doctor walked back…

"Riv…" J breathed, cutting in slightly as he spotted a gravestone with 'River Song' carved into it.

"That can't be right," Clara murmured.

J slowly walked over to the grave, not letting go of Clara's hand, in fact, holding it tighter as he moved to kneel before it, "No, it can't," he agreed, gently tracing the inscription.

"She's not dead."

"She is though," J sighed, rubbing his head, "She's been dead for a very long time."

"Yeah," River smirked, "Probably should have mentioned that," she shrugged, "Never the right time."

"But I met her," Clara shook her head, "You were there," she looked at J, "SHE was there!"

"Clara," Evy said gently, shaking her head, silently telling her it was a touchy subject for all of them.

"But her grave can't be here," J nodded.

"It can be if it's a trap," Evy remarked.

"Get back!" the Doctor shouted as he stepped back with Evy, backing up to J and Clara, their sonics out as the Whisper Men appeared.

"This family falls as all things must," they hissed, closing in, the three sonics, useless against them, "The fate of all is always dust."

"If it isn't my gravestone, then what is it?" River quickly moved to Clara's side.

"What do you think that gravestone really is?" Clara turned to J, not willing to distract the older Time Lords.

"What?" he looked at her.

"Maybe it's a false grave," River told her.

"Maybe it's a false grave," she agreed.

"Could be…" J looked at it.

River rolled her eyes, sometimes he could be so oblivious, "Maybe it's a secret entrance to the tomb?"

"Maybe it's a secret entrance to the tomb!" Clara shouted.

"Yes!" J cheered, "Oh brilliant!" he beamed at Clara, grabbing her head and kissing her forehead, leaving her blinking and smiling, before he spun around and scanned the grave, "That makes sense! They'd couldn't've buried my best friend out here. Dad!" he shouted, "Mum, come one!" he flashed the sonic at the gravestone and a hole opened up beneath them, sending them crashing into the tunnels beneath.

The Whisper Men looked down at them, "The man who lies will lie no more when this man lies at Trenzalore."

~8~

J led the way down a dark tunnel, Clara's hand in his, as the Doctor and Evy scanned around with their sonics, finding the way and using them as torches.

"Where are we?" Clara asked.

"Catacombs," the three of them replied.

"I hate catacombs. So how could I meet River if she's…not here?" she added delicately for J.

"Oh well," the boy shrugged, "You know how it is when you lose someone close to you. Mum and I are very good at backups."

"I died saving the Doctor and Evy," River called, making her stop and look back behind them where she was standing, J watching Clara intently, "In return, they saved me to a database in the biggest library in the Universe. Left me like a book on a shelf. Didn't even say goodbye. They don't like endings."

"Clara!" J pulled her back as a Whisper Man stepped through the projection, "Come on! Run, run!" he pulled her off, racing after his parents as the Whisper Men followed.

~8~

"It was a minor skirmish," Dr. Simeon stood before Vastra, Strax, and the recently revived Jenny, just outside the doors to the tomb, "By the Doctor's blood-soaked standards. Not exactly the Time War, but enough to finish him. In the end, it was too much for the old man," he smirked, "I suppose, with the loss of his Link, he nearly welcomed it."

"Blood-soaked?" Jenny frowned, choosing to ignore the comment about Evy.

"The Doctor has been many things, but never blood-soaked," Vastra hissed.

"Tell that to the leader of the Sycorax," Simeon turned away from them, "Or Solomon the trader, or the Cybermen, or the Daleks. The Doctor lives his life in darker hues, day upon day, and he will have other names before the end. The Storm, the Beast, the Valeyard."

"Even if any of this were true, which I take the liberty of doubting, how did you come by this information?"

"I _am_ information."

"You were a mind without a body last time we met," she reminded him.

"And you were supposed to stay that way," Jenny nodded.

"Alas, I did," Simeon turned around. He reached up and pulled at his face, tearing it off to reveal an empty shell…which collapsed to the ground, nothing more than a pile of clothes.

A Whisper Man stepped forward and they watched as his face reshaped into that of Simeon's.

"As you can see," he smirked.

~8~

The Time Lords and Clara quickly ran through a steel door, "Come on, quickly, we're in!" the Doctor shouted.

"Doctor!" Clara gasped as a Whisper Man grabbed her, "Evy! Cap'n!"

"Clara!" J turned and grabbed her, pulling her out of the man's grasp and into his arms as Evy shoved against the door with the Doctor, slamming it shut…but the Whisper Man's hand got trapped in the path…till it pulled it back and the door shut properly.

"Yowzah," the Doctor panted.

Evy looked over, spotting a set of stairs, "Come on," she took the Doctor's hand and they rushed up them, J and Clara after them.

~8~

"Hell of a climb," the Doctor called down to them as they reached a landing, "I think I remember the way…"

"Clar?" J called, seeing Clara stumble to the side, "Clara?"

"Hey, it's ok," the Doctor turned around with Evy to help her, seeing J flashing her with his sonic to check on her, "You're fine."

"It's just the dimensioning forces," Evy reassured her, rubbing her arm, "It can make you a little dizzy…"

"I know," Clara nodded, "I know," before she blinked, " _How_ do I know? How do I know that?"

"Clara, it's ok," the Doctor repeated, "You're fine."

But Clara stumbled, it wasn't fine, it was…something else, "Have we...have we done this before?" she blinked, "We _have_. We have done this before. Climbing through a wrecked TARDIS!"

Memories flashed through her mind...the TARDIS crashing, a book in a library, being chased by monster things, a swirling vortex in a room, jumping over a cliff…

"You said things, things I'm not supposed to remember…"

But it was _more_ than that…they never mentioned anything about 'dimensioning forces,' so...how did she _know_ about them?

"We can't do this now," the Doctor told J, seeing the boy's focus on Clara, knowing that look, the look of refusing to continue on until someone was ok, "The TARDIS is a ruin."

"Hey Clar," J smiled at her reassuringly, cupping her cheeks to look at her, "It's ok," he stroked her cheeks with his thumbs, "I promise, it's just...the telepathic circuits, they're trying to remind of you of things you forgot, but the memories, those memories, they're not real ok?" he looked into her eyes, "They never happened, not really. See...time's a big ball of..."

"Wibbly wobbly, timey wimey stuff?" the Doctor supplied with a small smile, till Evy whacked him on the back of the head.

J laughed, "Exactly," he looked back at Clara, "Things can go wonky at times, give you memories of something that never happened..."

Clara winced, pulling back, recalling the Doctor shouting at her about how they kept meeting, how she kept…dying…

She gasped, panting at that as she looked at J, her eyes filling with tears.

"Clara?" Evy frowned, seeing the girl growing upset, "Clara, what's wrong?"

But Clara just stumbled away from all of them, backing away, "What do you mean, you keep meeting me? You said I died. How could I die?"

"That is not a conversation you should even remember," the Doctor said.

"What do you mean I _died_?!"

"Clara, it's ok," J walked over to her, pulling her into his arms, hugging her tightly, smiling a bit when Clara hugged him back, just as tight, burying her face in his chest, "You'll be ok," he whispered, dropping a kiss to her hair, "I won't let you die, I promise," he rested his head to hers, his cheek on top of her head, just...holding her...wanting to comfort her as best he could, his parents smiling as they watched him.

He was far more confident than the last him they'd met, less flustered, though that might have something to do with Jack and Jenny not being there to tease him and the situation being so dire, but he still cared for Clara just as much it seemed.

"The girl who died they tried to save," they heard the whispering start, "She'll die again inside their grave."

"Run!" the Doctor grabbed Evy's hand, "Run!"

And they ran off, J and Clara after them.

~8~

Simeon stood before the trio of the Time Lords' friends, his back to them as he stared at the doors to the TARDIS, "The doors require a key. The key is a word. And the word is the Doctor's."

"Here I am," the Doctor stepped up with Clara, Evy, and J, Clara moving to check on Jenny as the 'adults' faced Simeon, J stepping up with them on the left of his father, Evy on his right, "Late to my own funeral. Glad you could make it."

"You ok Jenny?" Evy called, having a soft spot for the woman who shared a name with her daughter.

"Yes, ma'am," Jenny called, making Evy roll her eyes at the formalities.

Clara moved to step to J's side when Vastra took her hand, shaking her head as she held her back, this was Time Lord business.

"Open the door, Doctor," Simeon commanded, "Speak, and open your tomb."

"No," the Doctor said.

"Because you know what's in there?"

"I will _not_ open those doors."

"The key is a word lost to time. A secret hidden in the deepest shadow and known to you and your family," he eyed J and Evy, no one seeing River standing beside Clara but Clara, "The answer to a question."

"I will not open my tomb."

"Doctor, what is your name?" he reached out and grabbed the Doctor's face, squeezing it, till J grabbed the man's wrist and shoved him back.

"You don't _touch_ my family," J glared at the man. All he could think about was how the man, or the Great Intelligence, was responsible for his 'Lara' dying. For Clara nearly being taken by the data-cloud with the Shard and Kizlet. He had been a child then, scarcely able to help, but he was NOT a child any more and the man or alien or whatever he was, was NOT going to harm any one he cared about again.

"The Doctor's friends," Simeon called, "Stop their hearts."

The Whisper Men grinned and started to advance.

"Madam, boys, combat formation!" Strax called, "They are unarmed."

"So are we!" Jenny countered.

"Do not divulge our military secrets."

"Stop this," the Doctor turned to Simeon, "Leave them alone."

"Your name, Doctor," Simeon glared, "Answer me."

"Cap'n?" Clara breathed, scared.

"Clar!" J ran forward and took her hand, hearing the terror in her voice, pulling her back behind him to protect her, inching them back to his parents...

Strax grabbed a stick and swung it at a Whisper Man, slicing right into its body, "Do you want me to do that again?" he grinned…only for the hole to close.

"AH!" Evy screamed.

The Doctor spun around to see Simeon with his hand INSIDE Evy's chest, grabbing her left heart, "Doctor who?" he smirked at the Time Lord.

"Please, stop it!" the Doctor begged

"Mum!" J turned, only for a Whisper Man to get him in his distraction, his right heart.

"J!" Clara gasped, grabbing a stick and swinging at the Whisper Man but it just phased through the thing.

"Doctor who?" Simeon squeezed Evy's heart, making her fall to her knees.

"Don't...you dare...tell him," Evy glared up at the man as she spoke to the Doctor.

"Unhand me, sir," Strax cried as he too was heart-grabbed.

"Stop it, leave them alone!" the Doctor shouted, seeing his family attacked.

"Doctor!" Clara cried as J fell to his knees as well, "Doctor!"

"Doctor who?" Simeon grinned.

"Please!" the Doctor cried…

And the doors opened.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Worst chapter ever to pick a cliffhanging-ending for :) Lol, I hope this was a good one, I hope you liked J popping up and his reasoning for wanting to be called the Captain from now on, so sad :( This is the oldest J we've seen yet so I hope the change in his personality around Clara was justified, he's confident, but still as sweet on her as ever (and without the teasing to throw him off lol) :)
> 
> Oh, I really can't wait till the next chapter!
> 
> Next chapter...what will happen to the son of Thuna when their timelines are corrupted? Will Clara's reasons for entering the Time Tunnel be the same? Just how much of her lives does Clara remember?


	29. The Name of the Doctor (Part 2)

The Whisper Men immediately released the Time Lords and Strax.

"The TARDIS can still hear me," River murmured, walking over to kneel beside J as he panted, Clara on his other side, her hand on his chest, over his one heart, as he held her hand to him, "Lucky thing, since your dear old dad is being _so_ useless."

"Why did you open the door, sir?" Strax grunted, "I had them on the run."

"He didn't," Evy wheezed as the Doctor knelt beside her, helping her up, his arm around her, making sure she was alright, "None of us said his name," he took her face in his hands, using the Link to make sure she was ok, she just smiled at him, resting her forehead to his chest a moment as he held her.

"No, but _I_ did," River smirked.

"Is everyone ok?" Evy looked over, squeezing the Doctor's arm.

He nodded, turning to them, "Is everyone alright? J...er, Captain? Clara?" he rushed over, checking J over, knowing Evy wanted to make sure their son was ok but was still a bit weary herself, "Are you ok son?"

"That was _not_ a nice feeling," J winced, wiggling himself to shake it off.

"I know," he sighed, patting J on the shoulder, "I'm sorry," before he headed back to Evy.

"But uh," J swallowed, shooting Clara a little cheeky grin, "THIS," he squeezed her hand, still resting on his chest, still rubbing it to try and make him feel better, "Feels VERY nice."

Clara blushed furiously and pulled her hand away, only for J to grab it as she tried to move it and just held it.

"Thank you Clar," he smiled at her, kissing her knuckles.

Clara let out a breath at the sensation of the sweet gesture, "No problem," she breathed, standing up and helping him to his feet.

"Simeon," Evy glared at the man, not for attacking her but for attacking her son, "Do you have any idea what's in there?"

Simeon nodded, "For me, peace at last. For you and your _family_ ," he sneered the word, "Pain everlasting. Won't you invite us in?"

He stepped to the side as the Time Lords glared at him before J stepped over to the Doctor, putting a hand on his shoulder and squeezing. The Doctor looked at him, the two men sharing a solemn nod, before they stepped forward, pushing the doors open further, allowing them all in.

It was the console room, but dark, covered in vines and plants, disused, torn apart really. They slowly followed the Time Lords up to the main floor, to see that the time rotor was gone, replaced with a brilliant and shining white light, energy tendrils swirling around it, at each point the tendrils connected was a light blue light, like a small ball of energy, the same color as Evy's sonic screwdriver. It was a swirling, writhing column in the middle of the room and they could hear the cloister bell ringing in the distance.

"What's that?" Clara breathed, staring at it…feeling…funny, like it was...dangerous yet...important...but made her feel uneasy as well.

"What were you expecting?" the Doctor asked, "Bodies? Bodies are boring. We've had loads of them. Nah, that's not what my tomb is for."

"But what is the light?" Vastra eyed it.

"It's beautiful," Jenny smiled.

"Should I destroy it?" Strax looked at them.

J rolled his eyes...and whacked Strax on the back of the head, making the Time Lords and Clara smile at that familiar action.

"Evy," Clara glanced at her, "Explain. What is that?"

"It's a time tunnel," she sighed, shifting as she looked at it, uneasy, "Time travel is dangerous Clara and it can be damaging as well. Every small alter in history makes a miniscule tear in the fabric of reality. Collectively over the years, the scar that forms…is a time tunnel, connecting each scar."

"That is the scar tissue of my journey through the Universe," the Doctor nodded, "My path through time and space, from Gallifrey to Trenzalore."

"What are the blue lights though?" Clara squinted.

"Me," Evy said, "The moments where our paths crossed, the moments I had a hand in too, the bigger they are means I was there as well," Clara saw quite a few of them, quite a lot were rather big.

The trio of Time Lords pulled out their sonics, flashing the tunnel.

_"Have you ever thought what it's like to be wanderers in the fourth dimension?"_ the first Doctor asked.

_"Do I have the right?"_ the fourth.

" _That's the curse of the Time Lords, to see what must happen, even when it's a terrible thing to happen,_ " the tenth Evy remarked.

_"Daleks, Cybermen, they're still in the nursery compared to us,"_ the sixth Doctor.

_"There are corners of the universe that have bred the most dangerous things,"_ and the second.

" _A crack like this is the result of a split in the skin of the world,_ " the eleventh Evy added.

_"You were fantastic. Absolutely fantastic,"_ the ninth Doctor.

_"I'm the Doctor. I'm from Gallifrey in the constellation of Kasterborous…"_ and the tenth.

" _Our families, on Gallifrey, operated based on a system of matriarchs and patriarchs,_ " and the ninth Evy as well.

_"Hello, Stonehenge!"_ the eleventh Doctor spoke.

"Our own personal time tunnel," the Doctor eyed it, slipping his sonic back, "All the days,"

_"It was the daisiest daisy I'd ever seen,"_ and the third.

"Even the ones that we, er," he winced, taking Evy's hand, "Even the ones that we haven't lived yet…" and fell to the ground, taking her with him.

"Doctor!" Clara shouted, "Evy!"

"Mum!" J rushed to their side, "Dad!"

"No, no," the Doctor moaned.

"This is why we shouldn't be here," Evy panted, "The paradoxes…"

"It's very bad," he looked over, gripping Evy's hand tightly, to see Simeon walking towards the tunnel, "No. No. No. What are you doing? Somebody stop him!"

"The Doctor's life is an open wound," Simeon laughed, "And an open wound can be _entered_."

"No," J shook his head, realizing what the man was going to do, standing, pointing the sonic threateningly at him, "It would destroy you."

"Not at all. It will kill me," he turned to them, "It will destroy _him_ ," he smirked at the Doctor, "And his Link," and then tilted his head at J, "And you as well. I can rewrite their every living moment. I can turn every one of his victories into defeats. Poison every friendship she has ever forged. Deliver pain to their every breath."

"It will burn you to a crisp. Once you step in you can't turn back. You will be scattered along the timelines like...like...like..." he started snapping his fingers, trying to think of the word.

"Confetti?" Clara supplied.

He pointed at her.

"It matters not," Simeon waved him off, "He thwarted me at every turn and led his Link to do the same. Now he will give me peace, as I take my revenge on every second of your lives. Goodbye. Goodbye, Time Lords!" he leaned back, falling right into the time tunnel, turning it red, as the Whisper Men faded away.

"AH!" J screamed as he fell to the ground, convulsing.

"What's wrong with him?" Clara gasped, scrambling to J's side, the Time Lords were already in pain, it was their timeline, but why was _J_ in pain, "What's happening?!"

"He's being erased from time," Vastra stared, wide eyed, at her scanner.

"What?!"

Vastra turned it on the Time Lords, "Because _they're_ being rewritten. Simeon is attacking their entire timeline. If he kills them...he'll never be born," she looked at J a moment, before the scanner beeped and she gasped, "The Doctor is dying all at once and Evy is feeling it…the Dalek Asylum. Androzani…"

Clara looked up from clutching J's hand, "What did you say? Did you say the Dalek Asylum?"

"Now they're dying in London, with us."

"It is done!" Simeon cheered as his image faded, the tunnel deepening in its red color, the blue spheres turning black.

"Oh, dear Goddess."

"What's wrong?" Jenny turned at her, alarmed.

"A Universe without the Doctor and Evy. There will be consequences. Jenny, with me," she ran out of the room with Strax and Jenny.

"The Dalek Asylum," Clara murmured in thought, looking at the Doctor and Evy even as she held J's hand, "You said it was me that saved you. How? Victorian London. How...how could I have been in Victorian London?"

"No," Evy whimpered, "Please, stop…"

"My life, my whole life is burning," the Doctor panted, clutching Evy's hand tighter, pulling her towards him as they clung to each other.

~8~

"What are you scanning for?" Jenny asked as she followed Vastra outside, seeing the woman scanning the sky.

"Local star systems," she replied.

"Why?" Strax frowned.

"Because they're disappearing!" she looked up to see the stars literally blinking out.

"Disappearing how?" Jenny gasped.

"The Doctor's timeline has been corrupted. His every victory reversed. Think how many lives he and Evy have saved. How many worlds. He and Evy saved your life when we met...Jenny?" she turned, only to see Jenny had vanished, "Please, Jenny, no! Oh God, oh please, no…"

Strax, who had fallen rather silent, looked up, glaring at her, "Reptile scum!" he cried, attacking her with a shovel, "You are an affront to Sontaran purity. Prepare to perish!"

"We're friends," Vastra leapt back, avoiding his blows, "Strax, your past is changing, but I swear, we are _comrades_!"

"Die, reptile!"

Vastra took a breath and raised a weapon to defend herself…when Strax vanished before her eyes.

"Strax! Strax!"

~8~

Clara stared at the red swirling mess that was the poisoned time tunnel, "I have to go in there."

"N…no…" J managed to get out, squeezing her hand so tightly it turned white, "Please…"

"Don't," the Doctor agreed.

She looked between the three of them, "But this is what I've already done," she shook her head, feeling strangely...calm...about it, "You've already seen me do it, this..." she nodded to herself, "This is an established event, it's a fixed point, it's already happened," and looked at the tunnel again, "It always will happen," she smiled, finally working something out, "I'm an Impossible Girl, and this is why."

"Whatever you're thinking of doing," a voice said and she looked up to see River standing at the side of the room, "Don't."

"If I step in there," she squeezed J's hand as another pain hit him, "What happens?"

"The time winds will tear you into a million pieces. A million versions of you, living and dying all over time and space, like echoes."

"But the echoes could save the Doctor, right?" she asked, tears in her eyes, "Save him and Evy. Save...save J?"

"But they won't be you. The real you will die. They'll just be copies."

"But they'll be real enough to save them. It's like my mum said. The soufflé isn't the soufflé, the soufflé is the recipe," she looked down at J, reaching out to brush a hand through his sticky-uppy hair…only to go through it, he was starting to fade away, "It's the only way to save him, isn't it?" she whispered the last question.

River gave her a sad smile, knowing she wasn't talking about the Doctor any longer but J, she nodded.

"The stars are going out!" Vastra shouted as she rushed in, "And Jenny and Strax are dead. There must be _something_ we can do."

Clara just smiled at J, "It'll be alright Cap'n," she murmured, kissing his hand like he had hers and stood up, "Well, how about that? I'm soufflé girl after all."

"Clara…" Evy panted, "Don't…"

"I _have_ to," she whispered, staring at the tunnel, "If you die…he will never have been born."

She didn't know what it was, but…something inside her ached at the thought of that man, that little boy. not existing. Something so painful that she felt like she couldn't breathe properly, like all the air was being sucked out of her, and...her heart _hurt_. She'd only met him, the older him, three times before now, but each and every time just made her feel closer to him, made her care for him even more and...she had to do this, for him.

Because he had to live to find his Link, he had to live a long, proper alien life, and have adventures and go flying about through space and time and find happiness like his parents had.

"If this works," she continued, inching towards the tunnel, "Get out of here as fast as you can. And spare me a thought now and then."

"Clara…" J reached for her, her heart breaking to have to walk away from him as he begged for her to stop, his voice so pleading she nearly gave in.

"In fact, you know what?" she looked back at them with a smile, "Run. Run, you clever boy, you impossible girl, and remember me."

"Clara!" J cried, his eyes wide, staring at her as she just gave him a small wave, tears in her eyes, silently crying but trying to be strong, as she stepped back into the time tunnel, her gaze on J.

The light turned white with specks of blue once more…

~8~

" _I don't know where I am, I just know I'm running. Sometimes it's like I've lived a thousand lives in a thousand places. I'm born, I live, I die. And always, there's the Doctor, and then there was Evy too, and their son. It's like I'm breaking into a million pieces and there's only one thing I remember. I have to save the Doctor and Evy. Always I'm running to save them again and again and again. Running to save him, to save his Link, and his son, to save his family. They always look different. But I always know it's them. Sometimes I think I'm everywhere at once, running every second just to find them. Just to save them. But they never hear me. Almost never. But I've always been there. Right from the very beginning. Right from the day he started running. I blew into this world on a leaf. I'm still blowing. I don't think I'll ever land..."_

~8~

Clara spun around, seeing the sixth Doctor walk behind her, "Doctor!"

~8~

She stepped out into a hall as the fourth Doctor walked down it.

~8~

"Evy!" Clara ran into a patch of woods, seeing Evy, the eleventh Evy, fall to the ground, tripping, her eyes squeezed tight a moment before she disappeared in a flash of light, stone Angels around her.

~8~

She pounded on a glass window, seeing the seventh Doctor holding his umbrella as he dangled from an ice cliff by it, "Doctor!"

~8~

She jumped out of the way as the third Doctor drove past in his car, "Doctor!"

~8~

She banged on a glass window, seeing the ninth Evy kneeling before a white box, half leaning into it with a mess of wires sticking out as she tried to fix it, jumping back when she saw a man and a black woman run into the room, a large skeletal/scorpion thing chasing them.

~8~

And chased the second Doctor, in his fur coat, through a park, tripping…

~8~

She pounded on a glass floor, seeing the fifth Doctor floating there in the darkness, "Doctor?"

~8~

She stood solemnly in a crowd of people as she watched the tenth Evy being carried out of a small shuttle, blood coating the front of her dress, dried around her nose, a ginger woman running over to her.

~8~

She stepped around a corner, watching the eleventh Doctor walk away in a snowy alley, "Oi."

~8~

"Doctor?" she stepped up to an old man in a black coat, "Doctor?"

"Yes, what is it? What do you want?" he asked, the first Doctor.

"Sorry, but you're about to make a very big mistake. Don't steal that one, steal this one," she leaned against an uncamoflauged TARDIS, "The navigation system's knackered, but you'll have much more fun."

~8~

_"I'm Clara Oswald. I'm an Impossible Girl. I was born to save the Time Lords."_

~8~

The white light faded and they were standing there, the Doctor with his arms around Evy, hugging her close, his face buried in her hair, relieved they were alive, J standing in the middle of the room, dazed, staring at the time tunnel, as Vastra, Strax, and Jenny, now restored, stood to the side…

Before anyone could even speak, J let out a strangled cry of pain and fell to his knees.

"Captain!" Evy shouted, running over to him, recalling his request to be called Captain from now on and knowing, with Vastra and the others there, they couldn't call him by his Gallifreyan name.

"Son!" the Doctor dropped to his knees beside the boy.

"What is it?" Evy asked, looking at the Doctor as he scanned the man with the sonic but there was nothing physically wrong, "What's wrong?"

"Feels like I'm…" J swallowed, closing his eyes, tears in them, as he griped at the center of his chest with a hand, the other hand bracing himself on the floor, "Like I'm dying…like I'm being torn to pieces on the inside…like…"

"...a part of your soul just died?" Evy guessed quietly, a flash of empathy racing through her, there was only one time she'd ever felt that sort of pain as the one he was describing.

But it couldn't be! It was impossible!

J nodded, "It hurts mum…mummy it hurts…"

Evy felt tears in her eyes, J had _never_ called her mummy before, only ever mum…

"Evy?" the Doctor looked at her, feeling like she'd worked it out, and he shook his head, he didn't understand.

She just moved in front of J, taking his face in her hands, "What was the last thing you saw?"

He blinked at her, his face scrunched in pain as he tried to fight past it, not knowing what it was, "What?"

"Tell me, it's important, the very last thing you saw..."

"Clara…" he swallowed, struggling to get it out, "Saying goodbye…she was crying…"

"You looked at her as she got in the tunnel? Right before she died…"

The Doctor's eyes widened, seeing what Evy had worked out, "But…that's impossible!"

"And she's an impossible girl," River's voice said from beside them, sounding sad and heartbroken to see J like that, but with a happy note to it as well.

"I don't understand," the Doctor shook his head, "How is that even _possible_?"

"She entered the time tunnel and was scattered into a million pieces," Evy had to agree.

"And when she lands, she'll be whole again," River finished, "She'll be an amalgamation of all her lives, remembering them all, being a part of them all…and she was a Time Lady first, and she was a Time Lady longer than any of her other lives. I think I'm proof that nothing is stronger that Time Lord DNA…"

"It _can't_ be," the Doctor breathed, his eyes wide.

"Clara…" Evy looked at J, "Clara's your Link."

J shook his head, "She's human, she's…she's not a Time Lady. It doesn't work like that…argg!" he fell forward, onto his elbow.

River rushed forward, moving to kneel before him as well, "J please, listen to me…"

"I'd have known!" J insisted, scrunching his eyes shut, "I'd have _known_ she was my Link, like dad did…"

"I didn't at first though," the Doctor reminded him.

"J she's your Link, please hear me!" River begged.

"She wasn't wearing a Perception Filter," J argued, "There's no fob watch. It's _not_ possible."

"J!" River huffed, about to smack him at how he was just letting himself suffer when he should be saving his Link.

"Oh shut up Riv!" he snapped, wincing as he gripped his chest.

River's eyes widened, "You can hear me?" she breathed.

"I can always hear you Riv," he wheezed, feeling himself starting to shake, feeling even more pain creeping up, trying to push it back, to be strong like his dad was. He forced his eyes open, looking at River, tears in them though, making them all the more blue, "You are always here to me, I hear you, I see you."

"Then why didn't you speak to me?"

"It would hurt...too much."

"I believe I could have coped."

"It hurt _me_. Riv…I'm so sorry…"

"Don't be spaceman," she smiled, "There is a time to live and a time to sleep. I'm an echo, like Clara. Like all of us, in the end."

"You should've faded," he murmured.

"I couldn't leave you J, not alone, not till you found her."

"Who?"

"Clara," she smiled, "Your Link."

"How do you know she's my Link Riv?" if River knew, if she KNEW, he'd believe it. His parents...they would wish for the best, hope against hope for him to find her, River had always been more level-headed about it, realistic.

"J…you've spent your whole life running parallel to me, always popping up in the right order, always…except once…only once…" she smiled, "When you'd come from Trenzalore, to introduce me to your Link. To Clara."

He let out a breath, hunching over and crying out in pain.

"She's dying J," she put her hand on his as it curled into a fist on the floor, "YOU need to save her, you're the only one who can. You need to be strong J…she _needs_ you."

J nodded, feeling that, and groaned, pushing himself to his feet, stumbling towards the time tunnel.

"You can't go in there!" Evy shouted, her and the Doctor rushing forward to stop him, not having been privy to his conversation with River but knowing he was speaking to someone.

"It's our time stream," the Doctor agreed, trying to grab his son, "For God's sake son!"

"And I'm a product of it," he struggled, he could feel it even more now, his Link needed him, she was in pain and _scared_ , "I have to get her back!"

"Please…it _killed_ Simeon!" Evy begged.

"Dad," J turned to his father, gripping his arms, "She's my _Link_ ," he breathed, knowing the man would understand, knowing his father would see that he couldn't hang on for very much longer, couldn't keep the pain back. His mother had hung on once, in Berlin, long enough to tell his uncle Rory what was wrong with her, he was pushing it as it was…but he _needed_ her, he needed Clara in his arms to breathe again.

"Go get her boyo," the Doctor nodded, moving back to pull Evy as she struggled to stop their son.

"Good luck J," River called, tears in her eyes, "And goodbye spaceman."

He looked at her, knowing she'd only hung on this long to make sure he wouldn't be alone, "Goodbye timegirl."

And with that he leapt into the time tunnel.

~8~

" _I don't know where I am. I don't know where I'm going or where I've been. I was born to save the Doctor, to save his Link and his son, but they're safe now. I'm an Impossible Girl, and my story is done._ "

~8~

Clara landed with a thud in a misty graveyard, sepia tones all around her, like Trenzalore but empty, even more eerie with the fog rolling past.

"Doctor?" she gasped, "Evy!" she looked around, she was alone, her worst fear ever, being lost, "Cap'n?" she tried, feeling like he should be there, like he _had_ to be there, he was meant to be there, but he wasn't, "Please, please, I don't know where I am."

"Clara!" she heard J shouting, "You can hear me. I know you can. You've always been able to hear me…to understand me, no matter where I was or how old I was…I should have realized earlier, Clara I'm so sorry…"

"Sorry about what?" she sniffled, looking around for him, feeling a thudding in her chest as the sound of his voice, "I can't see you."

She _needed_ to see him, she needed to. She had no idea where the fierce determination to see him, the desperate need, had come from but she needed to, badly.

"You're inside my parents' time stream," he told her, "In a way, everything around you is me. Everything they are has led to me…"

She gasped as figures began to run past her, men, women, the Doctor and Evy, the ones she'd seen throughout their lives…and then…there were other men, men she felt her heart zing at, J, other Js running around, other incarnations of him.

"I can see them. All their different faces, they're here."

"Those are their ghosts. Their pasts, everything good and bad about it."

Clara fell to the ground as the world around her shook, someone screaming, lightning flashing, "What's wrong? What's happening?"

"I'm inside their time stream. It's collapsing in on itself."

"Well, get out then!"

He had to get out, he _had_ to…if he died…because of her…she didn't know what she'd do…

"Not until I've got you," he said with a fierce determination.

"I don't even know who I am," she felt tears welling again, she was so confused, there were so many things in her head, so many people, all of them her, but all different, so many lives...which one was real? Which one was she?

"You're my Impossible Girl," he laughed, "An Impossible Girl of my very own, like mum is to dad and so much more than you realize Clar…"

She felt herself smile at that, "I like it when you call me Clar, Cap'n."

He gave a warm chuckle she could feel reverberate inside her, making her tingle, "I love it when you call me Cap'n. I'm sending you something. Not from my past or my parents', from yours. Look up. Look."

She looked up, seeing her leaf from Akhaten drifting down, "Our first date," she joked, recalling how they'd met, how they'd spoke, he'd bought her food and flirted just a bit...

"This is you, Clar. Everything you were or will be. Take it. You blew into the world on this leaf. Hold tight. It will take you home…"

She grabbed it and stumbled forward, looking for him, needing him…feeling like she couldn't breathe when…

"Clar!" J's voice shouted behind her, "Clara!" she spun around, watching as a light appeared, like a crack in time, "Come on. Come on, to me, now…"

And J appeared inside it, stepping out.

She felt her breath catch in her throat at the sight of him, there was something…different about him…

' _You can do it,_ ' he held out his arms, ' _I know you can._ '

But that wasn't what shocked her…his lips weren't moving, she could hear him in her head!

"How are you doing that?" she breathed

"I can do it because it should be impossible," he said, out loud this time, the wide grin on his face making her start to smile as well, "And you're _my_ Impossible Girl. How many times have you saved my parents, Clar? But this time…this time…let me save you. Do you trust me Clara?" he held out a hand.

"Yes," she nodded, walking towards him, tears in her eyes.

"I'm real, just like you're real," he looked at her with such a soft look in his eyes, "You're really real Clara, you're actually _real_ …"

Clara just looked at him, her head swirling as she took his hand and stumbled into his arms, only then did her pulse slow, her tears dry, and her breath return to her. Who knew J could give such warm hugs? Well, she did she supposed, the younger him had a similar effect on her, not quite so powerful as this though.

"Clara," he breathed, inhaling her scent, squeezing her tighter, " _My_ Clara," he kissed her head and she felt a shiver race through her.

It sounded so different now than when he had said it as a toddler, it made her feel warm and...fuzzy...

She pulled away a bit and looked up at him, staring at his baby blues, feeling her breath catch in her throat. Of its own accord her free hand lifted and came to rest on his cheek, her thumb stroking it, "I…I don't know why I'm doing that."

"Give it time," he whispered, lifting his hand to press hers to his cheek more, "You'll understand soon enough…" he trailed off, catching sight of someone just past her.

Clara turned to see a man in dark clothing standing there with his back to them, an old man, "Who's that?" she whispered, moving close to him, back from the man.

J wrapped his arm around her, holding her close, "No one who will hurt you," he whispered in her ear, "I won't let anyone hurt you Clar, ever. Let's go back," he tugged her.

"But who _is_ he?"

"He's my dad," he swallowed, "There's only him and mum here, that's the point. Now let's get back."

"But I never saw that one. I saw all of them. Eleven faces, twice, your parents. The Doctor…the current one, he's the eleventh Doctor!"

"I said he was dad. I never said he was the Doctor."

"I don't understand."

"Our names, our real names, it doesn't matter what they are, the names we choose, like Evelyn or the Doctor or the Captain, it's like a promise we make," he looked at the man, "He's the one who broke the promise," he stiffened, " _You stay away from her,_ " he hissed at the man, knowing full well what the man was capable of.

Clara gasped, hearing him speaking in the language she'd sometimes heard the Doctor and Evy speak to LJ and each other in, it always felt familiar to her, but this time...this time...she could _understand_ it…

And then…the stars exploded in her head and she swayed, collapsing into J's arms.

"Clara?" he gasped, catching her, "Clara? Clara!" he quickly picked her up, cradling her in his arms, "He is dad's secret," he whispered to Clara, a secret only a select few knew, him and his mum being two, the Doctor did NOT keep secrets from his family.

"What I did, I did without choice," the man spoke.

"So you say."

"In the name of peace and sanity."

"But _not_ in the name of _the Doctor_!" he glared at the man, turning to walk away, the man turning to sadly watch him go.

The man…was the Doctor.

~8~

J sat beside Clara at her bed in the TARDIS, the girl curled up under the blankets, sleeping, her one hand in both of his as he just...waited for her to wake up. He knew she was ok, he could feel it, the reassurance of the Link, but he wanted her to wake up, he wanted to look into her gorgeous brown eyes...

God how could he have not known? How could he have fooled himself into thinking that it was just a lingering side-effect of knowing Clara as a baby that had led to the feelings that sprang up around her? He had NEVER _ever_ acted the way he had around Clara, not with any girl in centuries... _except_ Clara.

It should have been a sign, he should have realized that it was his instinct trying to tell him Clara was his Link. But he'd just pushed her away. His own quest to keep free, to not hurt his Link, and he'd done it anyway. Wasn't that just his luck though? Times like those he didn't like being the Doctor's son, when his luck came up in terrible doses. Jenny had been right, his sister, to tell him to open himself up, that what if his Link was human, trapped in a watch. He supposed it was almost the same thing.

He knew now what had happened, figured it out given the hints River had said about Clara's first life. He'd seen it in his mind, Clara's lives, _all_ her lives, even her echo lives. It was why the realization that she was his Link hadn't hit him at first, because he and his parents had seen _all_ of Clara, the human Clara, the original's, life, from the moment before she was born to the present, watching over her, watching her grow. He'd seen it all, just like the Link was meant to do, show you every moment of the other's life. He hadn't even realized when his mind had been downloaded with it, as he already knew it. But then...he got more, he got her past lives, her echo lives, her future lives.

River's words made sense now, Clara's first life ever, centuries, nearly a millennia ago, was as a Time Lady on Gallifrey, her first ever life in the Universe was as a Time Lady, and she'd remained one for centuries after. Every time she had stepped up to try and save all the past incarnations of his father before his ninth self, it had been HER, the Time Lady her, not just a mess of other echoes but _the same her_. Still on her first incarnation. That part of her life, it was such a big chunk, truly the largest piece of herself.

When she had broken up, a few shards had gone here and there, as humans, but the largest was her life as a Time Lady, and when she'd reformed, _that_ was the piece more prevalent, _that_ was the piece all the others gravitated around and reformed around. It was like...how the Racnoss ship was the center of the Earth, or how Lazarus's dormant DNA had been awoken. Clara's echo-DNA had been awoken by the time tunnel, made dominant. He didn't know what that meant for her though, what she would remember, which memories would surface. He didn't know, he had no way of knowing, as turbulent as the download had been for him, he knew Clara would have a double whammy of trying to deal with her own memories and his as well. And, it worried him, he'd fallen deeply for this Clara, the human her, despite his best efforts, and while she seemed to have similar personalities throughout all her lives, he loved THIS one's...he knew he'd come to love whatever her appeared, but...this her was special.

"Hey," he heard his mother, well not HIS mother, but still his mother, say as she entered, her and the Doctor coming to sit with him, "Are you alright Sigma?"

He nodded a moment before shaking his head, "How did you do it dad?" he looked at him, "When mum stopped that thing on Midnight? How did you just...sit there with her unconscious and not go out of your mind?"

"Well, I wasn't Linked then," the Doctor began, before Evy smacked him in the back of the head, "BUT!" he narrowed his eyes at her a moment, "When your mum was pregnant with you, when River attacked us in Berlin, I was _terrified_ Sigma, I was, I admit it, but I had her in my arms and I had faith that my Link was stronger than anything, resilient, and she was," he smiled at Evy, kissing her gently.

"Clara will be fine," Evy reassured him, placing a hand on his shoulder, "If you want, should we call um...us? You should be with them and..."

"No," he shook his head, "Clara will know who they are when things settle in, from my memories, but YOU'RE still HER Doctor and Evy. I just want her to feel secure when she wakes up."

They smiled at him, at how he was thinking of Clara first. They'd seen hints of it before in Sweetville, how focused he'd been on finding Clara and taking care of her, how adamant he'd been that Clara go with HIM and the Doctor instead of with anyone else, how protective he was of her and how considerate and observant. The boy had been so gone about her way back then and none of them had realized. They'd all just thought it was LJ's crush carrying over into him, none of them had even guessed that it might be some semblance of the Link trying to break through.

Evy was especially annoyed with herself for not noticing. She _should_ have, she really should have. The way J acted around Clara...was JUST like how the Doctor had acted when he'd turned himself human. John Smith had been flustered around her, focused on her entirely, unable to help but feel drawn to her, not even noticing other women around her, wanting to just be with her, keep her with him. The way he looked at her...it was the same way J looked at Clara. And she knew, that had been when the Perception Filter she'd worn wouldn't work on a human version of the Doctor, it was a reaction of the lingering feelings of the Link in both the watch and John that had seen her for who she was, his Link or a woman who was perfect for him. She really _should_ have seen it, so she blamed herself for this happening as well, for J having been in pain, if she'd just opened her eyes, opened her mind to the possibility of J's Link being out there, instead of believing it impossible, she'd have noticed, especially being one of the inspired, it was her thing to notice what others missed.

The Doctor smiled softly at her for her thoughts and kissed her temple, watching as J turned his attention back to Clara and they knew it was just the start. They appeared to have raised their boy into a charming, respectable, _good_ man. He was genuine and caring and honorable and they always knew that one day he'd make a girl, his Link perhaps, _very_ happy. And, they had to admit, they were actually rather pleased that girl was Clara, they had had companions in the past willing to die for _them_ , but Clara...she had not only been willing to die what seemed like 1000 times over, but...she'd done it for _J_. They remembered that much through the pain they'd been in.

And that made her more than worthy in their book.

J stiffened as Clara's face started to scrunch, signaling her waking, "We'll leave you two alone," the Doctor whispered, taking Evy's hand and tugging her out despite her mental protests that she wanted to watch her baby interact with his Link for the first time, but the Doctor, in a surprisingly mature move, reminded her how special their own Linking was, how private when they'd finally been alone together, and had led her out of the room.

J reached out and gently stroked Clara's hair as her eyes fluttered open, looking right into the blue eyes that had haunted her dreams for the last few months, "Cap'n?"

He let out a breathy laugh at the name, pleased she seemed to remember him at least, "Hello Clar."

She felt her breath hitch in her throat to see him looking at her with a small smile on his face, a look in his eyes like...like she was the most precious thing in the world to him. She could feel her heart rate pick up and...

She blinked, sitting up more in her bed. She looked down and lifted her hand, the one not currently being held by J, to her chest, her eyes widening as she felt TWO hearts beating in there, "What happened?" she looked at him, alarmed.

"You don't remember?" he asked, feeling his hearts starting to break a bit.

"I...I was..." she looked down, unable to stand seeing the sorrow in his gaze, knowing her question had likely caused it, and closed her eyes, trying to think, "I was...we were in the TARDIS, there was a light, it turned red and then..." she breathed, starting to tense, feeling scared, "What happened to me?" her eyes snapped open, looking to him for answers.

His hearts truly broke this time, but more for the terrified look in her eyes, "You stepped into the time tunnel Clara. To save mum and dad."

"No," she said quickly, before she even realized she had.

He nodded, "You did, Simeon had entered and was tearing apart their timelines and you, you brave, stupid, impossible girl, followed after him to reverse it and..."

"Not that," she cut in.

"Not what?"

"I didn't...I didn't enter it for the Doctor and Evy."

He frowned, "Then what..."

She just squeezed his hand and gave him a look.

"You're giving me a look," he eyed her, trying to translate it.

"Yes," she laughed a bit, she had no idea what was going on, why she was only partially freaking out about now having two hearts and gaps in her memory, but holding his hand...was almost nicer than the hug, "Yes, I am."

"It's supposed to tell me something, isn't it?"

"Yes it is."

He stared at her a good long while, "Not getting it." but that was probably because he kept getting distracted by her eyes, she really was just as pretty as the baby him had thought.

She laughed, he really was thick at times, "I didn't step in the tunnel for _them_."

He blinked, feeling his hearts swelling, "You...you did it for me?"

She nodded, blushing as she looked away, embarrassed by that. She wasn't supposed to feel this way, she shouldn't, he was a Time Lord, he would find his Link one day, and...

She winced suddenly at the thought, her head pounding.

"Clar!" he moved beside her, sitting on the edge of the bed, moving his arms around her, "Clara what is it?"

She closed her eyes, losing her breath at the sensation of his arms around her, but her mind was racing...she could see a little girl, with brown hair and brown eyes, speaking to a woman she couldn't make out, sitting at what looked like a breakfast table, orange light shining in from the windows, asking the woman about Linking, the woman...her mother!...explaining the different types, how her 'uncle' Tir was her mother's sibling-Link, her saying she hoped hers would be romantic...

"Links..." she breathed, blinking as she opened her eyes and looked at him, "Am I...did we...I was looking in your eyes..."

He smiled, his hearts filling with hope again at how she'd remembered that part of Time Lord culture, "And they are gorgeous," he told her, tapping her nose, "We did. And you are," he smiled, shaking his head as he looked at her like he was completely in awe that she could exist, "You're my Link Clar, my impossible girl."

She reached up and touched his face, unable to help herself, "We Linked?"

"Mhmm," he nodded, smiling as he leaned into her touch, turning to kiss her palm before he took her hand and held it, "I..." he swallowed, "I know this must be really, _really_ very startling for you and..."

"Oh it is," she cut in, "I'm sure in about a minute I'll be freaking out about it but right now I'm..." she cut off.

"You're?" he eyed her, he could feel it but...she was feeling so many things he couldn't be sure, her mind was racing too much for him to read it, not that he wanted to till he could explain what Linking meant completely to her. He got the feeling she'd only caught a snippet of it.

"Happy," she smiled, looking at him, "I'm really, REALLY happy that we Linked...whatever that means."

"I'm happy I Linked too," he nodded, "But I'm even more happy it's YOU."

"Really?" she blinked, feeling tears in her eyes.

"Oh yes," he grinned, "Clara, Linking...it's instant,it's a connection that unites a Time Lord and Lady's mind and emotions. Telepathy, feeling what the other feels physically, it represents compatibility throughout regenerations. That the Linked pair will always be there for each other and understand the other. It...it can go a few ways, lead to rivalries, or...or sibling-like feelings, or friendships, romance, or nothing at all at times. It's supposed to take time, for any sort of relationship to develop, and I don't want to pressure you but..." he paused, "I'm fairly certain I know how I feel about you, what...what sort of Link it is and..."

"Romantic," she cut in.

"Yeah," he winced, rubbing his neck at how she'd caught that, "I...I've never felt the way I do around other girls as I do with you Clar. I've never flirted the same way or wanted to hold them or even _looked_ at them that way and it should have been a clue, I should have realized but..."

"But you're the Doctor's son and just a little bit oblivious?"

He laughed, pleased she seemed to be taking it so well at the moment, "Yeah, more than a bit though," he looked at her, taking a breath, "I care about you Clara," he squeezed her hand, "More than...more than anything," he didn't want to say loved, though he could feel it bubbling in him, that crush growing even more now that he could _allow_ it to, but he didn't want to scare her, he didn't want to make her feel like it was forced or rushed, "I know it may seem sudden, but it's not, I've known you nearly my whole life. I've already seen _your_ whole life, I already feel like I know you, and...I've always had a bit of a crush on you," he smiled, seeing her beam at that, "But...I know that it may take time for you to work out how you feel and that your end of the Link might go different than mine..."

"It didn't," she said quietly.

Everything he was saying...she felt too. That time tunnel, whatever it was that had happened to her, her memories were still all a jumble, but she remembered J. She remembered popping up at points in his life along with his parents', it was like she already knew what had happened in his life, like she already knew and not just from being around him as a baby. It would take time, she was sure, for it all to settle, for her to get her head on straight, but she felt comfortable around him, he was familiar and...it was like everything she'd felt around his other selves (though not quite like the fondness and protectiveness she felt around LJ) just increased how she felt about him now.

He looked at her sharply, "It didn't?"

"At least, I don't think it will," she smiled, "I've...had a bit of a crush on you too," she told him, feeling her heart... _hearts_ (oh that would take some getting used to) flutter at the wide grin he shot her, "I um...it broke my heart to think of you Linking to someone, but I wouldn't have done anything," she promised quickly, "I just wanted you to be happy, so if you found your Link, I wouldn't have tried to com..."

"I am," he cut in, "You have no idea Clar," he lifted her hand, pressing the back of it to his chest, his hearts were racing, "I don't think I've EVER been this happy before."

It wasn't just the Link making him feel that, it was the fact that it _existed_. He had a Link, the impossible had happened, he found her, he had her, she was safe, and she was his, and she seemed to be ok with it...

"And..." she continued, "I think I've been dreaming of you," she told him, "Before I even met you."

She realized it now, that flash of blue that always appeared with her nightmares...it was the _same_ blue as his eyes, it was the same comforting feeling she got around him.

"And I'm happy, freaking out, have no idea what's happening to me, but...I really am happy."

He looked at her softly, reaching up to touch her cheek, just looking into her eyes, his hearts swelling, "May I kiss you Clara?"

She sucked in a breath at that, at the look in his eyes, the so-soft look, the gaze that kept flickering down to her lips, not that she could argue differently on her end, "Do you remember what I told you when you asked me to be your companion on that submarine?"

He blinked, not quite sure what that had to do with anything, "To ask you when I was older."

"Because..."

He laughed, getting it now, "Because you doubted anyone could say no to me when I grew up."

"I'm not an exception," she winked.

He leaned in, and, ever so gently, kissed her, his hand moving to her cheek as she wound her arms around him...

Neither of them saw the Doctor or Evy peeking in from the doorway, eavesdropping on their son, with wide smiles on their faces.

~8~

"So...how exactly did this happen?" Clara asked as she sat before the trio of Time Lords in the med-bay, J insisting that they check to make sure she was ok from her time in the tunnel.

"According to Riv," J began, explaining it to her, "The time tunnel broke you into a million pieces."

"Right," she nodded, "I remember that..." she shifted uncomfortably, which made J move beside her on the small examination table and take her hand.

"You were a Time Lady originally, on Gallifrey..."

"Yes, you were the one who told me to take the TARDIS," the Doctor patted the doors as the TARDIS hummed.

Clara nodded, "The navigation was knackered," she murmured, vaguely recalling that, "How come I remember that?" she asked, it was weird, like...she remembered these bits and pieces, some more than others, "How did I remember any of it, like...like the dimensioning forces?"

The Time Lords were silent a moment, looking at each other, actually not having a real answer for that, "Maybe it's like Auntie Donna?" J suggested.

His parents nodded, "Donna was my companion," the Doctor explained to Clara, not knowing if she'd remember running into the ginger at some point from her time in the tunnel, but wanting to say it just in case, "She and Evy were involved in a meta-crisis, but before it happened, Donna kept hearing a heartbeat."

"It could be like that," Evy agreed, "The meta-crisis was so powerful a moment that the timelines converged on Donna and echoed the sound to her. Maybe the moment when you entered the time tunnel was so powerful it was all echoing back on you too, giving you memories of things from your life as a Time Lady, even if it hadn't quite happened yet. Like...it was such a big part of your lives, that those memories were able to slip through more than the others."

Clara looked down, it actually made sense, in a weird way she'd have to have J explain to her later, but she understood enough of it. It was like how she knew about the entropy of the pocket Universe, the buttons to push on the console to help Evy fly into it, how the Eye of Harmony worked, how she'd imagined a Dalek attacking the Time Lords before she'd even learned what they were when Evy had spoken of her time in the war on Hedgewick's World. It was why there were _so many_ familiar things about the Time Lords and the TARDIS that she just hadn't been able to explain, like that book in the library that she remembered now, how she'd been able to read it despite it being in Gallifreyan, the TARDIS not having been THAT badly damaged. And now her dreams made sense as well, all those nightmares she'd had throughout her life, the flashes of red, the grass of Gallifrey, of orange, the sky, of silver, the leaves, the laser noises of the Daleks, and the blue, the blue of J's eyes. And the Untempered Schism, what she'd seen in the hologram room, the dream she'd had after when she'd asked Evy to take her home...the hologram room had two men standing behind her, but her dream...her dream had two _women_. She could somewhat remember it, being small, being taken to the Untempered Schism and looking into it, the women watching her, one woman with brown hair with a grey streak in it, the other much older with completely grey hair...she couldn't remember which child she was, knowing it was to either run away, go mad, or be inspired. That part was a bit fuzzy too...

But it all made _sense_ now, even her _fear_ made sense now, her fear of being lost, all those lives had come back to her, all of them running and lost and trying to find something.

She looked over at J as he squeezed her hand, and smiled, she'd never be lost or alone again, would she?

' _Never ever,_ ' he promised in her mind, kissing her hand.

She looked at him softly for that before trying something, ' _Thank you,_ ' she called to him in her head, not quite sure if it would reach him, not quite sure how that even worked.

It was weird, she felt like...she could think faster, she understood things better. Like all that talk of times converging and echoing and things, she understood it when she was pretty sure she'd have been lost before. She didn't quite know how the mental talking worked, but just...wanted to try. It was...intimate, like she and J shared a little bond, a private way to speak, that just...made them closer.

' _You're very welcome,_ ' he grinned at her.

She felt a flash of happiness rush through her, knowing it wasn't hers, but J's, that he was happy she'd been able to speak to him in his mind and let out a soft giggle at that, happy she'd made him happy, resting her head on his shoulder, J dropping his to hers as well, his temple rested on top of her head, his parents smiling softly at them.

They were just so sweet together.

"Do you remember anything about it?" the Doctor wondered, "From Gallifrey? Your family? Your name?"

Clara blinked, "A bit...it was just me," she scrunched her face, trying to recall more of her family, but it wasn't happening, she got the feeling she was an only child, like now, "My name..." she breathed, looking down in thought...before nodding, "I remember..."

"I'm Luna," Evy began, knowing that the belief to keep your name a secret was a very large part of Time Lord culture, it wasn't something you shared, except with your people, and given the war being over, even for Clara knowing they were Time Lords too, it would be difficult for her to share without gentle nudging. They wouldn't even really share with other Time Lords except for the fact that she was practically family, she was their son's Link.

"And I'm Theta," the Doctor added.

"Sigma," J told her.

Clara took a breath, "Clarana," she laughed, "Always Clar eh?" she nudged J.

"Which is just fantastic," he told her, he suspected her Time Lord name might have something to do with 'Clara' given how many of her different lives had that...her, Clara the governess, her Time Lady self, he even recalled quite a few of her other echo lives had that name as well, Clara, or Clarissa, or Clarice, all Clars, some were Oswins, Osmas, and other similar names, but the majority were Clars.

"What about...how old you were Clara?" Evy asked her gently, going back to her human name, knowing all the talk of Time Lords with her fractured and vague memories might be a bit overwhelming, "In that life?"

"326," she answered promptly, before wincing and rubbing her head as a flash of pain hit her.

It was like she could barely remember it, like she knew some things but others were just...distant. She remembered some of her other lives as well, mostly the events centered around the Doctor or Evy. She remembered her most recent human life _much_ more than any others, probably because it was her _original_ life, even if it wasn't her _first_ life.

"You died in the war," J said quietly, squeezing her hand, recalling that moment of her time on Gallifrey.

He winced, it involved his father, in involved her saving him, like she'd gone through time to do. He'd been setting up the Moment to use, hiding it, thinking no one would look for it in the middle of a battlefield...the idiot. A Dalek had turned on him, he hadn't noticed, and fired, but another soldier had moved back, into the line of fire...and taken the hit for him, had died, Clara, and given him time to get away. In a way, he was almost relieved that was how she had died, that she hadn't been one of those living, one of those who had to endure the true end of the war, she'd died moments before it all happened.

Clara looked at him, feeling...guilt...that wasn't her own float through her, J's guilt, "What is it?" she looked at him, not wanting him to feel guilt, not knowing what he could possibly feel guilty about.

"I wasn't there," he murmured.

She just squeezed his hand, realizing he was sad he hadn't been there for her, hadn't been able to protect her...and then she blinked, seeing...something...in her mind. Her stepping into the time tunnel. She let out a breath, realizing he felt guilty about that as well, that if she hadn't stepped into it, she wouldn't have died in the war, she wouldn't have lived all those lives, had them all crowding around in her head, if not for her desire to help HIM.

' _I wouldn't be your Link either,_ ' she reminded him, looking at him till he looked at her in return, wanting to make sure he'd heard her. She smiled, ' _It was worth it to call you mine._ '

He smiled shaking his head at her, ' _My Clara, my impossible girl._ '

She beamed, ' _My Cap'n._ '

He laughed, kissing her forehead.

"You've lived a few other lives," the Doctor continued, smiling as he watched his son interact with his Link, already able to see the happiness just radiating off the boy, "Probably not, um, lasting, past 26," he added, it was too much of a coincidence, that 'Ozzy' and 'Lara' and 'Cara' as LJ would say, had all died at 26 and then her Time Lady self had died at 3 _26_ , "That would make it your longest life, the biggest piece of the puzzle it seems."

"When you reformed in the tunnel," Evy added, "All the other pieces of you gravitated around that larger chunk, like how the planets form, you were Clara again, just...a Time Lady."

"I don't remember though," Clara frowned, "If that was such a big part of my life, why do I only remember a few things?"

"Because it was an echo life," J shrugged, "THIS life, these memories," he tapped her forehead, "They're YOUR memories. Physically, you're a Time Lady, mentally..."

"I'm a human," she said, actually...feeling rather sad about that. Evy was brilliant, as was River and the woman was only human plus, and now SHE was a Time Lady, a real proper Time Lady...and she wasn't all that clever.

"Oi," J nudged her, "You are _brilliant_ ," he smiled at her, "You're amazing in so many ways Clar, I honestly think you might be a better hacker than mum and Riv combined, you're even better with children than dad. And you're so clever and you learn so quickly and..."

She reached up to place a gentle finger on his lips, "Thanks."

"There's a chance your memories might resurface," Evy added, "You've only been out of the time tunnel a few hours, you've got quite a few lives to sort through in your head including, um..." she looked at J.

He rubbed the back of his neck, "352," he muttered, realizing that that was only 26 more years than how old Clara the Time Lady had been on Gallifrey, ironic wasn't it?

"352 years of the Captain's life to sort through too," Evy nodded, "It'll take a long while before they do."

"See," J smiled, "It's all there, all that knowledge, locked in that pretty little gorgeous head of yours, like..."

"Like a door you can keep closed," the Doctor supplied, thinking of Rory.

"So, one day, I might remember all of it," Clara looked at them.

They nodded, "Some things might be instinctive or, if you've been exposed to it long enough, familiar...like the TARDIS!" Evy gasped, "You were pulling levers and buttons Clara, I didn't even realize they were the right ones!"

"Yes, and you knew what the Eye of Harmony was and about the entropy," the Doctor agreed.

J blinked, "Do you think..."

"Oh yes," the Doctor nodded.

"Think what?" Clara looked at them, trying to get anything off J but he was just grinning like an idiot and hiding his thoughts.

Evy smiled, "Clara, how would you like to help us pilot the TARDIS?"

~8~

Clara slowly entered the console room, more than a bit wary of trying to fly the box given what happened the last time, and the box's natural dislike of her.

' _Oh finally!_ ' she heard someone shout, and gasped, spinning around but saw no one, ' _I've been waiting for ages for this to happen. Was waiting? Would be waiting? Oh tenses!_ '

J laughed, "Clara...meet the TARDIS."

Clara's eyes widened, "I can hear you."

' _Of course you can NOW,_ ' the TARDIS remarked, sounding like she might be rolling her eyes...if she had eyes, ' _Humans always seem to take too long to do things._ '

"Always waste time when you don't have any," the Doctor called as he strode past them to the console, Evy with him, as though it were perfectly normal for the box to be talking.

"Rule 408," Evy grinned.

Clara just looked at J, "I can hear the TARDIS."

He laughed, "Yes you can."

"But that's impossible!" she exclaimed, a rush of information hitting her, "You can't take an eleven dimensional matrix and fold it into a mechanical…"

J laughed and this time HE was the one to put a finger to her lips, "Come on," he took her hand, leading her to the console, showing her the chip his mother had made, "One of mum's many inventions, lets the TARDIS talk, but only if there are only Time Lords here, doesn't work with humans around."

Clara frowned, "Was _that_ why you didn't like me?" she asked the box, she really wanted to know, she wanted to have a good relationship with the box that was a home to J and his parents.

' _No._ '

She blinked, "Then what..."

' _Sigma is your Link, you're his._ '

"Yes..."

' _You HURT him._ '

Clara gasped, "What?!" she looked at J, alarmed, "When did I hurt him? How? What did I do?"

J laughed at her franticness, putting his arm around her, "It's alright Clar, neither of us had control over it and..."

"When?" she cut in, giving him a look, lifting her eyebrow, which only made him smile instead of cower like the Doctor might have done.

"The second you stepped into the tunnel, you became a Time Lady...and died, while I was looking at you."

"And the Link..." she gasped, recalling what Evy had said about the downsides of it, "Oh..." she looked at the TARDIS, reaching out to rest a hand on the rotor, smiling softly at the box, unable to be angry with the machine for not liking her, she was just protecting J and cross about what would happen to him, but the TARDIS had always protected her too, despite that, because the box had likely seen who she was to him, "I'm sorry I hurt him," she told the box, not apologizing to J, knowing they really had _no_ control or even knowledge that it would happen, unlike the box seemed to have, "I promise though," she smiled, crossing both her hearts (something else that would take some getting used to), "Cross my hearts, that I won't _ever_ do it again."

' _Apology accepted,_ ' the TARDIS agreed.

Clara beamed at that, looking down at a control, when she spotted something that made her heart...s (that really would take some getting used to) stop. Her bracelet, the purple and red and blue and gold strands that LJ had given her, "Oh my God," she gasped, "What about LJ?" she looked at them frantic as their eyes widened, seeming to realize what she had.

How would that work? How could she still travel around LJ if...if she was Linked to his older self? The baby could Link to her, and if he did it would disrupt the entire causal nexus!

She blinked, not quite sure where that had come from, but going with it, shaking it off to her lingering Time Lady thoughts. It was still a valid point, LJ couldn't Link to her, not as a baby, it would throw off J's _entire life_ , all the events he knew and didn't know would change because of it. He clearly hadn't known she was a Time Lady, meaning his younger self hadn't, hadn't known she was his Link either...but...how?

Unless...unless she _stopped_ travelling with the Doctor and Evy? Had they told LJ that she'd died? Kept her in the shadows so he never saw her again? She felt her hearts (got it that time!) ping at the thought of the boy being told she'd died, even as a toddler he was still attached to her. And...she got the vague sense in her mind that J had spoken to someone about her, claimed she'd been around a while longer, around his younger self. So...how? And what did that mean for her and J, she...she wanted to spend time with him, get to know him more, beyond her knowledge of his long life and what she felt inside about him, she...she wanted to be with him, but...the thought of leaving the Doctor and Evy and LJ tugged on her too...

"That...is a good question," the Doctor nodded, looking between J and Evy, "Any ideas?"

Evy rolled her eyes, patting his shoulder, "You're forgetting who you're talking to dear."

He laughed, "The Queen of Backup Plans," he wound his arms around her, squeezing her.

"What are you thinking mum?" J asked, lazily draping his arm around Clara's shoulders, just beaming that he could do it, his hearts fluttering as she leaned more on him.

"Isn't it obvious?" she looked at them.

Clara laughed, "Now YOU'RE forgetting who you're talking to," she nudged J, "The Kings of Oblivious."

"Oi!" the Doctor and J cried, both of them pouting, making their Links laugh.

"Perception Filter," Evy said.

J's hearts sunk, "What?" he breathed, tensing.

Clara looked at him, concerned, and then back at Evy, "What do you mean?" she couldn't help but shift uneasily at that, recalling what Evy had said about the use of them, and even a bit of her own knowledge leaking through, not wanting J to suffer that.

" _Not_ a high-level one," she reassured them, "A _very_ low one," she looked at J, "Your younger self's mind won't be as developed or sensitive to them, it can be a very low-level one, not enough for him to not notice you," she promised Clara, "But...enough where he won't Link to you, won't sense you as a Time Lady."

"You mean...lie to him?" Clara frowned, she didn't like that. J had clearly spent _centuries_ thinking he was alone, it didn't sit right with her that the baby would grow up to think he was alone. Couldn't they just tell him that much? Give him some hope?

"She's right," J nodded, looking at Clara, sensing her thoughts, "I can't know who you are," he sighed, reaching out to brush a strand of hair behind her ear, "Even if it means condemning myself to think I'm alone, the things I did, the way I acted, I did because of what I knew, and I didn't know about you Clar, we have to maintain the timelines."

She pouted this time, and he smiled, kissing her forehead, knowing that the kiss they'd shared before had been their emotions getting the best of them. It had been the most amazing (hearts stopping, earth shattering) kiss of his life (his parents had obviously lied about how incredible the first kiss with your Link was), but they both wanted to take it slow. He had to smile though when Clara smiled at the gesture, making his parents beam at the familiar action. It seemed the roles were a bit reversed there, Clara seemed quite the pouter as well.

Evy's eyes narrowed in thought a moment, it was...odd, it really was, just how similar Clara and J were to her and the Doctor, eerily similar now that she thought about it. She and Clara were impossible girls, sometimes good at backup plans, able to keep up with their men, talk circles round them, keep them under control, get the best of them and make them blush...wipe their faces off when they made a mess or pin them down their their 'eyebrows fo doom'...knew when the other was upset and just how to calm them. Both had been the Link of the men, hidden in plain sight, the men unaware of who they were to them (even if Clara also was unaware). Both had nearly died and revealed themselves in the process, their Link Linking to them in a sudden move meant to save their lives. But also...they both loved their boys more than anything, wanted what would make their Link happy. She had seen it on Hedgewick's world, Clara's expression when she'd told her about J Linking. The girl was fond of LJ but had a crush on J, she knew, and she'd seen it in her face, how she was sad about the Link but also...there was a determination there, and so she'd snuck a tiny peek into Clara's mind, to see the girl promising to keep away and not come between J and his Link, to not confuse his feelings, JUST like she had done with the Doctor's last self and Rose. It really was strange how much like them Clara and J were, how parallel their stories ran, but in a rather good way, because she knew the Doctor was happier than ever and now J would be too.

She shook her head when she realized J was speaking to her, "Sorry what?"

J laughed, "And you make fun of dad," he joked, "The Filter," he shifted, still not liking the thought of it, "It would be low enough where _I_ would still sense her right?" if he could just be sure of THAT...

"Of course," she nodded, "You're old enough, your brain's more developed, and you'll be aware it's there and be able to see past it, not that it'll take much effort. You'd already be Linked so the Filter is really more preventative for LJ."

"So...what do we do?" Clara asked, "How do we put one on me?"

"Well, mine were necklaces," she gestured at her own necklace.

J crinkled his nose, "No, it should be something she always wears," J murmured, "Something she won't forget to wear around him or that could be tugged off when I reach my grabby stage..."

Clara looked down, the light of the rotor catching on her mother's ring, "What about this?" she held her hand up, "The only time I've ever taken it off since mum...died, was in Akhaten."

They nodded, that would work, "May I?" Evy held out a hand.

Clara took a breath and pulled it off, handing it over as Evy turned to the console, flashing the ring with her sonic and opening a small panel with some odds and ends in it, working on putting the Filter on the ring.

The Doctor paused in going to help to spin back to them, "That means Clara will be around LJ," he said, pointing at Clara.

"Yes," J nodded.

He blinked, "But she's YOUR Link."

"Yes?" he repeated, more of a question now.

"Shouldn't she be with YOU," he couldn't imagine Evy being far away from him for too long, the 200 years apart had nearly killed him.

Clara shifted, something in her felt...wrong...to leave the Time Lords, to stop travelling with them. She'd stepped into the time tunnel to protect them, to protect J, it seemed it had carried over. She'd been born to save them, how could she if she was travelling with J? But how could she stay away from J knowing he was her Link as well?

J though just smiled, as though he knew Clara would still be around, well, he would, he'd seen her around as a child, "You only see her on Wednesdays," he shrugged, "Still leaves quite a few hours open in her schedule," he winked at Clara, sensing how she felt about 'abandoning' his parents and his younger self.

She beamed at that, shaking her head at J and his understanding, he was so wonderful, "You've both got time machines you know," she reminded the Doctor.

"Yeah," J nodded, though he secretly _wasn't_ thrilled about it, about having his Link away from him, about not being with her every moment, protecting her, being there for her...in a way, he still would be, as his younger self, and...he knew which adventures would be really dangerous so he could come and be with her, he knew she'd be alright, she'd survived it when he'd been a child...rather well and remarkably now that he thought about it...and, he knew when she'd leave, hoping against hope that it meant her leaving them would be her starting her real travels with him, "It'll be like five minutes for me," he paused in thought, "Literally, mum taught me how to pilot and..."

"Ha!" Evy pointed at the Doctor triumphantly, "Even our son thinks I'm a better pilot!" she cheered as the Doctor rolled his eyes playfully at her as she walked back to them, "Here we are," she held out the ring to Clara, "Try it."

Clara took a breath and put it back on, looking at J.

"Beautiful," was all he said, smiling at her, it was like she wasn't even wearing a Filter, he could still feel the Link, still sense her, still _see_ her. She was gorgeous.

Clara blushed at that.

"I've added a secondary setting to it," Evy added, "A higher setting, just in case," she added quickly, seeing them both look at her, alarmed, "In case we run into YOU," she looked at J, "Before you've Linked to her."

J blinked and nodded, that made sense, he was older and he knew he'd be popping up with River at times. He winced, knowing it would be hard for Clara to be around a 'younger' him and not have him know who she was. She squeezed his hand at that, but his mother was right. The secondary setting would be helpful in keeping THAT him from Linking to her too early.

' _Now_ ,' the TARDIS cut in, and they nearly laughed hearing the box go from exasperation that they'd taken SO long to get to that point to excitement, ' _Where are we going?!_ '

J laughed, "I've got _just_ the place," he smiled at Clara, "I have a very close friend who would LOVE to meet my Link," he looked at his parents as they smiled, realizing exactly who that friend was. They all got to work, piloting the box, J with Clara beside him, his arm around her waist, watching as she hesitantly began to pull levers and hit switches and push buttons, him pointing out one or two for her, all as they flew the box, quite smoothly, to Luna University, just before the Graduation Ceremony was to begin.

J took Clara's hand and pulled her out of the box with a laugh as his parents waited, smiling as they watched them go, remaining there as they knew their older selves were probably there and not wanting to cause too much of a paradox by heading out. They looked at the TARDIS, ready to get the box set to go when the kids came back, pick up LJ again now that it was all safe...only for the alarms to go off, the lights flashing red. They looked at each other and ran to the monitor, seeing a blip, an alarm...coming from Trenzalore...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next 2 chapters will be the 50th Anniversary. Lol, I think 10 may have a hearts-attack seeing, not just his older self, but his Link, his son (older or younger, not sure if LJ should be there if it's that dangerous) AND his son's Link...poor him lol :)
> 
> I realized just now that about half of this chapter is original lol :) I hope you liked the TARDIS's reason for disliking Clara, and that the twists and everything was justified and explainable/believable. 
> 
> My decisions/reasonings: I didn't want to make Clara suddenly a Time Lady out of nowhere so I've been hinting at her past for a while, with how she recognizes things from the TARDIS, her dreams, her connection to LJ and J. I hope it was explained in a justified and believable way. Clara shattered, but each piece of her was the size of 26 years, except for her 326 year old Time Lady self. Merging back, I saw it more like a swirl of pieces that ended up gravitating towards the larger chunk and reforming, it's still Clara as she looks the same, but Time Lady biology. She won't suddenly be smart or know things, it'll be a slow progression, but eventually she'll reach that point.
> 
> Clara will NOT become an uber smart, powerful, Time Lady. She does have her past self's memories, but as they said it will take a VERY long time for them to fully come out given all the other human memories in her head. J (and the Doctor/Evy) will help her in her quest of unlocking them but it'll be slow. Mostly, right now, she might have a better idea of how to fly the TARDIS and maybe understand more about science, but for the most part she'll still be Clara.
> 
> I had two ways the story could go, either Clara as his Link or an OC as his Link, so I tried to keep it balanced where if Clara was his Link then her dreams and feelings were her past as a Time Lady and those memories surfacing or she wasn't and an OC would be then all her feelings/dreams could be explained as 'the timelines converging on her' and sort of echoing her lives back at her, giving her tiny hints to her memories of her life as a Time Lady but with her still human.
> 
> Clara vs. OC: Clara was 'human' and 'became a Time Lady' and the same could be said for if J just randomly found his Link if his parents looked THAT hard for other Time Lords, his Link was most likely locked in a fob watch and whoever the OC might have been would have been 'human' when he met her and 'become a Time Lady' too, same event, different characters. I also didn't want to do the fob watch thing as it's been done quite a lot.
> 
> Clara's future in this story: I want to give Clara some challenges, which means the J we see popping up in Series 8 will likely be with River, and at that point in his timeline, doesn't know Clara is his Link (and won't because of the second setting on the Perception Filter, gotta love Evy and her backup plans eh?). It'll be hard for her to be around him knowing he's her Link and him not knowing that about her (another parallel to Evy). I will have THIS J popping up so she gets a bit of love, maybe during 1 adventure. I do hope that it was believable them having a little kiss, they literally HAVE known each other all their lives. J almost literally for Clara, having seen her entire life and knowing her since he was a baby, and Clara because I could see the time tunnel showing her more of J's life as well.
> 
> BIG NOTE: As Clara Linked to J, she will NOT have romantic feelings for his baby self (that would be wrong). To her, they are almost like different people. J is her Link, LJ (like River mentions in the Library about the Doctor)...isn't quite J yet. She'll feel more protective of him (as he has to survive to get to J) and she'll always feel safer around him (much like she already did), but she will NOT be in love with LJ. She'll feel the Link is there in LJ, but she loves J. It's almost like how Evy said if there was someone like the Doctor exact in every way, she'd still only love the Doctor, similar with J except LJ isn't exact, he's not J, not to her. She sees him as the past of her Link, but NOT her Link. If that makes sense. Evy once said, when 5 and 10 were in the same spot that she felt the Link divide, but I feel she mostly saw him as a past Doctor but not HER Doctor. As long as LJ doesn't Link to Clara till he reaches that point in J's life, Clara and LJ will NOT have any sort of relationship like that.
> 
> My compromise on the OC: I feel like having Clara be J's Link is a happy medium...because once Clara regenerates, she'll basically be like an OC who only has Clara's name to her. She'll be a new character with a new personality and a new appearance and I can make up whatever history for her as a Time Lady to fit to that. So, in a way, it's a win-win, we get Clara first then an OC :)


	30. Past Meets Future: The Day of the Time Lords (Part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I originally posted this as a separate story on FF.net, but it gained a lot of confusion so I'm including it here as an actual chapter of A Trio of Time Lords. If anyone is reading this series on FF.Net, Past Meets Future is the title of the 50th Anniversary Story for this series :)

Clara smiled as she stood in a classroom of Coal Hill Secondary School, writing on the board as she taught a class, "'Waste no more time arguing about what a good man _should_ be," she smiled, thinking of two VERY good men and one rather remarkable woman, " _Be_ one.' Marcus Aurelius," she glanced back when the bell went off to see the class nearly running for the doors. She laughed at that, she could remember when she had been a child and the last bell of the day rang, how eager she'd been to get home to her mother and later her father.

She glanced back again from erasing the board when she heard the sound of footsteps running _towards_ her instead of for the doors and saw one of the other teachers, a young man that had, well, tried to flirt with her awkwardly a few times, rush up to her. It was weird, she was normally such a flirty person but it just didn't hold the same appeal, there was only ONE person she wanted to flirt with anymore, there was really only one person who could make her blush and feel warm and giddy when he flirted back, "Have you been running?" she asked him, seeing him panting, he wasn't the most…athletic man.

"Are you ok?" he asked her instead, "There was a call for you at the office, from your doctor."

Clara smiled, "Did he leave an address?"

"Um, no," the man shook his head, "Just said there was a surprise for you outside…but I don't…"

He didn't even get to finish as Clara grinned widely at that, just KNOWING what it had to be, before she grabbed her black jacket and rushed out of the room, the poor man following her, so confused. She ran out of the doors of the school, stopping on the top steps as she beamed at the sight before her.

There, sitting against a red motorbike…was J, the Captain, the son of the Doctor and Evy all grown up, just grinning widely as he saw her, the softest look in his eyes as they caught her own. He looked so...dashing just leaning against that bike, a black jacket on over his blue jumper, one she'd bought for him on an outing that really brought out his eyes, and in plain black pants. She let out a happy squeal and ran down the stairs, half launching herself into his arms as he stood off the bike, hugging him tightly as he spun her around with a laugh.

"I take it you missed me then?" he grinned at her.

"What do you think?" she countered, before pulling him down by the lapels of his own black jacket to kiss him soundly, completely forgetting that the young teacher had followed her out and was currently gaping at her in shock. She always seemed so reserved…well, that explained why she kept politely turning down his advances.

"Oh yeah," J nodded as he pulled away, looking at her dazedly, "You missed me."

"And what about you?" Clara poked him, "Miss me?"

"More than you know," he whispered, reaching up to touch her face gently.

It was a sort of…transition moment for Clara, the reason why she wasn't currently travelling with him nonstop in his own TARDIS. She'd gone from watching over the Maitland children 24/7 to nothing really, once they'd found a new nanny. She hadn't quite ever had nothing to do like that and had asked if he might be ok if she took up teaching. It was like a progression really, to get her used to having actual time. This way, she was still around children, but she wasn't responsible for them for 24 hours straight, she only spent about 8 hours with them a day…and then she'd spend the rest with J. The weekends were theirs, the summer would be theirs, and she'd slowly get used to being with him more and more. It was FAR more time than they'd had together when she'd been a nanny, but it still gave her a connection to her human past, to teach and be around children and on Earth, even if it was for only 8 hours a day. And then there was also his parents, she still kept up her Wednesday travels with them, every Wednesday going off on an adventure with them and J's baby-self, LJ. To have the Doctor contact her at school and for _J_ to be there, she knew it was an adventure they'd ALL be going on and those were rare because of how LJ and J were the same person, they had to be remarkably careful about what they said, did, how they acted, around the little boy.

J had been so wonderful in accepting her request to teach though, he really was exactly like his mother in that regard, understanding and considerate to how she felt. He'd just said that all he wanted was for her to be happy and if she was happy teaching and spending time on Earth a little while than in the TARDIS, who was he to argue. She'd kissed him quite a bit for that. She knew that Time Lords could be…rather possessive of their Links, she felt it infinitely so with J, but to know that he was doing it for her, that her happiness meant so much to him…she loved that about him.

She loved him.

And she was so glad she'd _finally_ told him, well, more like it had slipped out after a particularly dangerous adventure and she'd been rather cross with him at the time and it sort of got all blurted out when he'd tried to apologize, but…she'd said it, and she _meant_ it, and he'd said it back.

Best day ever.

"Ready to go?" J asked, holding out a small red helmet for her, "Mum and dad have A LOT planned for today."

"Really?" she gave him a look as she took the helmet, "What's so special about today?"

J looked back at her as she got on the motorbike, "Really Clar?"

"Oh, shut it Cap'n," she nudged him before winding her arms around his waist, resting her chin on his shoulder, "What is it though?"

He turned his head to smile at her, "It's your birthday Clar."

She blinked, "Oh my god it _is_!" she realized, she'd completely forgotten!

J just laughed and gave her startled face a kiss on the cheek before he revved the bike and they took off, Clara letting out a squeak as they moved before laughing and squeezing his middle, enjoying the ride through the town, until they reached a side road in the country. J sounded the small horn on the bike and the doors to the blue police telephone box that was sitting there popped open, allowing them to drive right in.

"Hello, hello!" J cheered as he took off his helmet, looking over at his parents sitting off to the side.

The Doctor was sitting with LJ on his lap, a book on Advanced Quantum Mechanics open before him as he read aloud to his son, Evy making her way up the stairs from underneath the console and wiping her hands on a rag.

She shook her head, "Door," she nodded, pointing at it.

J rolled his eyes, "I've got this Cap'n," Clara winked, snapping her fingers as the door shut.

' _Finally!_ ' they heard the TARDIS grumble, ' _SOMEONE has manners!_ '

"Clara!" LJ cheered as he scrambled off of the Doctor's lap and waddled his way over to her.

Clara laughed and hopped off the bike, scooping the adorable toddler into her arms and tickling him as J shook his head, watching his younger self get all the attention.

"How's my special boy?" Clara grinned at LJ.

"Happy!" he threw his arms up.

"Oh are you?"

"He's in your arms Clar," J winked at her, "Only place he needs to be to be that."

Clara sent him a soft look for that, her and J had been trying to…tone down their relationship around LJ. J hadn't really thought much of a need to do that as he felt that his younger self already loved her, what was the point in hiding that his older self did as well. But she had been more insistent that, given how much he had tried to keep away from her when he'd been older, that she didn't want to influence LJ to like her more when he grew up. The brief meetings they'd had before she'd become a Time Lady once more had defined their relationship and she wouldn't give them up for the world, which had made him smile and relent.

And, in a way, it was just like how his mother had refused to tell the Doctor she was a Time Lady too, she hadn't wanted to influence his feelings for her. And speaking of that similarity to his mother, Clara still wore the Perception Filter she'd made for her. The ring of her mother's was still on her finger and still set to a low setting so LJ wouldn't Link to her now that she was a Time Lady again.

HE didn't particularly like that, because he _did_ get very _very_ vague sensations that contradicted the Link he himself felt with Clara, but he understood it was necessary for the time being, that Clara would have to wear it around his younger self until such time as she left the TARDIS and came to stay with him permanently.

"So, where are we going?" Clara asked, looking at them eagerly.

"Fancy a week in ancient Mesopotamia followed by future Mars?" the Doctor asked as he closed the book, looking back at her.

"Will there be cocktails?"

"Only on the Moon," Evy countered, "And only after _someone_ ," she took LJ into her arms even as the boy pouted and crossed his arms at having been removed from Clara's, "Goes to bed."

"Bad!" LJ huffed at the notion of bedtime.

Clara laughed though and ruffled his hair, "The Moon'll do."

"Oi," J pouted this time, "How come HE gets a hair ruffle?"

Clara looked at Evy who could only shake her head as though to tell her this was something she should expect a great deal of in the future. Both men, the Doctor and J, were so alike it was frightening, and the Doctor always pouted when someone else got a hug or a kiss or even a high-five from her.

Clara rolled her eyes with a smile and made her way over to J, "Because," she told the man quietly so LJ wouldn't hear, "When I ruffle YOUR hair there's always a decidedly clear reaction to it."

"No there isn't," he argued, straightening, though he sounded for all the world as though he were trying to be TOO innocent about it, "I have no feelings towards the hair ruffle at all."

"Oh really?" Clara challenged before reaching out and ruffling his hair…making him groan, "Ha!" she pointed at him, "I win."

"You cheated!" J countered.

"They always do," the Doctor laughed, getting up to join Evy by the console, winding his arm around her waist, "They're women," he whispered to J as though imparting a secret.

"Oi!" Evy reached over and slapped him on the back of the head, making LJ giggle, "We don't cheat. We merely…use our womanly wiles to our advantage," she winked at him.

"Your womanly wiles eh?" the Doctor started to smile, "You know, I'm starting to think it's a myth, womanly wiles, I've not seen a thing like them and…"

"Doctor," Evy cut in.

"Yes dear?"

"You're not fooling anyone," she laughed, seeing him pout at how he'd been trying to get her to show him some of her wiles.

She grinned though and leaned in, about to give him a peck for his pout, LJ covering his eyes at the sight, when the entire TARDIS shook, sending them crashing around, the Doctor immediately reaching out to steady Evy who still had LJ in her arms, while J did the same for Clara. The Time Lords looked at each other, before springing into action. Evy ran over to a small bouncing chair, setting LJ up in it to keep him safe from the natural bumps of the trip, before the four of them ran to the console and got to work, trying to see what was wrong, LJ thinking Clara's newfound ability to pilot came from secret lessons his parents must have been giving her…

Or his mother had been giving her.

His father, since the TARDIS and the Universe were still in one piece, clearly had NOT been the one imparting those lessons on her. He had no idea it was really his older self that had helped remind and refresh her knowledge of TARDISes. He still had no idea Clara was even a Time Lady again.

"What's happening?" Clara asked them, still a bit new to piloting TARDISes and TARDIS things in general.

She'd found that the simpler things about her life on Gallifrey were the easiest to remember, the smaller things. Colors, names, simple devices, foods, all those she had been able to recall with ease, and help from J. But the larger and more complex things, like everything there was to know about aliens, or TARDISes, or space/time, she still needed some help with. It was slowly becoming more familiar to her, but she knew it would be a while yet before she really got the hang of things.

"Whoa, whoa," the Doctor struggled to keep his footing, "We're taking off!"

"But the engines aren't going!" J shouted.

"No," Evy rolled her eyes at the men, "The lack of the funny wheezing should have been a clue," she remarked.

"Hold on!" Clara pushed herself away from the console and ran to the doors, opening them to let in the sound of a chopper above them, "We've been airlifted."

"What?!" the Doctor rushed over to join her as J and Evy tried to get the TARDIS to disappear, "Oh fantastic," the Doctor grumbled, before turning to lean out he door and pull the phone out from behind the instructions panel.

"It's UNIT!" Evy called to him, seeing it on the monitor.

"Right," he nodded, calling the only member of UNIT he could think of.

"Hello?" a young girl answered, "Kate Stewart's phone."

"This is the Doctor," he cut in, not even bothering to be polite when his TARDIS was being moved without his consent, "Put Kate on. _Now_."

"Oh!" the girl gasped, "H-hold on," he could hear a wheezing from the girl as she ran off, "Excuse me. Ma'am. Ma'am!"

"The ravens are looking a bit sluggish," he heard Kate speak as he rolled his eyes, "Tell Malcolm they need new batteries."

"It's him. Sorry, it's your personal phone, but, well, I recognized the ringtone. It's him, isn't it?"

"Inhaler," Kate instructed as the young girl made a gasping noise, clearly using said inhaler, as Kate picked up, "Doctor? Hello. We found the TARDIS in a field. I'm having it brought in."

"No kidding," he muttered.

"Where are you?" all he did was hold up the phone as they drifted over the Thames, letting her hear the noise of the chopper's wings above them, "Oh, my god! Oh, Doctor, I'm so sorry. We had no idea you were still in there. Come on!"

"Whoa!" the Doctor cried out as the chopper suddenly turned, knocking him clear out the door.

"Doctor!" Clara gasped, managing to catch his feet.

"Dad!" J ran over to help, "Clar, hold on…" he knelt beside her, holding onto his father's one leg as Clara held the other, the Doctor just dangling there as Evy shook he head, trying to get the TARDIS to at least stabilize so that he wouldn't fall completely out. Though she had to send a small smile at LJ as the toddler clapped his hands excitedly for the thrill of it all.

"Doctor, can you hear me?" Kate shouted over the phone as it swung beside the Doctor, "I don't think he can hear me."

He grunted and grabbed the phone, "Next time, would it kill you to knock?!"

"And you say dad's rude, mum," J laughed back at Evy.

"I'm having you taken directly to the scene," Kate told him, "Doctor, hello, are you ok?"

"Whoa!" the Doctor slid a bit more out of their hold, "I'm just going to pop you on hold…" his call was cut off when he fell out of the box, twisting to grab the base of it, small slots on the bottom that the was able to hang from as the TARDIS was dropped down near the National Gallery.

"Doctor?" Kate shouted up at them.

"Come on kids," Evy called, gesturing J and Clara over, "He's fine, but I need you to help me hover the TARDIS for when we land."

J and Clara ran over, getting the TARDIS working just as the helicopter let go, clearly not knowing the Doctor was hanging from below it. But they were just in time, the box hovering in the air enough for him to let go and hop down to the ground, ducking out from under the base of the box before they set her down.

"Attention!" one of the UNIT soldiers shouted as all those who had gathered around saluted the Doctor…only for him to do so as well.

"Why am I saluting?" he asked, his hand still to his forehead.

"Because you're an idiot," Evy countered, moving behind him, dealing him a small slap on the back of the head in the process as she joined him at his side, LJ in her arms, "And a rather terrible example for your son," she bobbed the toddler as he started babbling excitedly about TARDIS surfing and things.

"I don't know why you worry so much," the Doctor remarked, putting an arm around Evy's shoulders, "He clearly doesn't end up being so bad, look at him," he grinned as J stepped over with Clara, her arm linked through his.

"Don't listen to him Evy," Clara whispered, as the Doctor took LJ to listen to his son's excited plans, "Just last week the Cap'n decided to attach his TARDIS to a school of flying sharks and transform it into a sleigh," she shook her head, "I don't know where he gets these ideas from."

Evy blinked, "His father," was all she said before she turned to Kate as she walked up to them.

"Doctor, Evy, as Chief Scientific Officer, may I extend the official apologies of UNIT…" she began.

But Evy just put her hands on her hips, "Kate Lethbridge-Stewart," she spoke, Kate wincing at the motherly tone she took, the chastising tone, "Did your father teach you no manners?"

"Yes, a word to the wise Kate," the Doctor agreed, "As I'm sure your father would have told you, I don't like being picked up."

"Excuse me?" Evy lifted an eyebrow at him.

"I love you?" he offered her.

Evy rolled her eyes but gave him a peck.

"Ick," LJ grumbled.

Kate smiled, "Hello LJ," she greeted the baby, "Clara," and then the last member of their group, the Doctor moving to introduce their son when Kate continued, "Captain Smith," she winked.

"Katie," J grinned back.

Clara blinked at him, "Katie?" she crossed her arms and lifted an eyebrow at him in a startling impersonation of Evy.

"Kate Stewart," J introduced, sending Clara a reassuring smile, "Riv and I helped her out a bit when some Sontarans got a bit rowdy…"

"Oh," Clara nodded, "Hello," she smiled, having assumed the woman knew who _she_ was because she was the current companion if she knew LJ and J.

"I'm acting on instructions direct from the throne," Kate called over the sound of the chopper as it took off, "Sealed orders from her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth the First," she nodded at a young girl beside her, wearing a multi-colored scarf and thick black glasses, who pulled a sealed envelope from her pocket.

"The Queen?" Clara stared at them, looking from J to his parents, "The First? Sorry, Elizabeth the First?"

"Oh she's lovely Clar," J grinned, a sort of secretive smile on his face, "I should take you to meet her one day."

"Lovely?!" the Doctor stared at him, "She tried to have me beheaded. Like half her family has!"

"Because you're rubbish at charming women dear," Evy patted his arm, "You're no _Casanova_ ," she smirked.

"You promised never to speak of him!" he pointed at her accusingly.

"Um, dad?" J cut in with an amused look, Clara watching them already curious as to that whole story, "The letter?"

The Doctor looked over and took the letter, eyeing the 'My Dearest Doctor' that was inscribed on the front, "Her credentials are inside," Kate added. He glanced at her before moving to break the seal, when Kate put her hand out to stop him, "No," she gestured back to the National Gallery, "Inside."

"Right," he nodded.

Evy grinned as she passed the young girl staring at the four of them in shock, "Love your scarf," she winked, making the girl gasp and put a hand to it as they passed, heading into the Gallery.

"Attention!" the guards saluted as they passed.

"Oh don't salute," J grumbled, grimacing as Clara laughed and hugged his arm, making him smile. He glanced over at his baby-self to see that the boy couldn't see him and quickly gave Clara a peck, making her beam.

She knew that she and J had to be careful around LJ, with what they revealed about how close they were, but…she loved it so much when he found little ways to show her he cared, that he loved her. She was infinitely thankful for the mental connection they had, he said such sweet things to her when no one else could hear, not that he didn't always say the sweetest things aloud. It was actually a bit flustering and embarrassing at times, the things he'd say about her around other people. She always flushed but that always seemed to be his endgame. According to him, she looked like a vision in red. So she always tried to incorporate it into her outfit whenever she saw him, like her red skirt at the moment.

"So," Clara began as she followed them into the Gallery, "Did you know her, Elizabeth the First?"

"Unified Intelligence Task Force," the Doctor muttered instead, still bitter about the Casanova remark.

"Sorry?"

"This lot. UNIT. They investigate alien stuff. Love anything alien."

"What, like…us?" Clara whispered so LJ wouldn't hear, she was still trying to get used to that, to not being quite human any longer. The more time she spent with J, the less human and more Time Lord she felt. It was odd…she felt like she should be more alarmed that she was feeling less human, but…the Time Lord quality, it was more like an old familiarity she was happy to get back to.

"Dad works for them," J added.

"What?" Clara looked between him and the Doctor, "You have a job?"

"He has a job," Evy nodded, placing LJ on the ground but taking the boy's hand as he walked beside her, "Be afraid Clara, be very, _very_ afraid."

"Oi!" the Doctor pouted, "I'm not that bad!"

Evy laughed, "You keep telling yourself that dear," she patted his cheek.

"Does he really have a job?" Clara asked J.

"Why shouldn't I have a job?" the Doctor cut in, "I'd be brilliant at having a job."

"You don't have a job," Clara shook her head.

"I do. This is my job. I'm doing it now."

"You never have a job."

"I do. I do!"

"Well he _does_ have quite a few," Evy remarked, "Father, Link, the Doctor, among others…"

"That's not a job that's a responsibility," Clara countered.

"So what do you call me looking after him?" Evy smiled, nodding at the Doctor.

"A job," she said firmly, "A full-time, maddening, terrifying job."

"Oi!" the Doctor pouted.

Evy laughed and gave him a peck, LJ rushing off past her to a large painting that was covered in a cloth, tugging on it, excited to see what might be behind it, "The best job in the world though," she murmured, "Because I get to spend it with you."

"Oh, well, then," he nodded, "Then perhaps you deserve a raise," he grinned suggestively before leaning in to kiss her deeply.

"Oh dad, _really_?" J grimaced at them, "I don't need to see my parents doing that!"

Clara laughed and shook her head at them, before looking over at LJ as the boy managed to tug the cloth down…and right on top of him, "Oh LJ," she moved over to him, helping get the cloth off him…only to stop short, her eyes wide as she saw the image before her, "Oh my god…" she backed up, LJ in her arms as she stared, "J…" she reached out to touch his arm blindly, only to glance over and see he had his hands pressed over his eyes to avoid seeing his parents snogging before him, "J!" she whacked him on the chest, making him look over.

"Oh…" J stared as well, "Um…dad…mum?"

"What?" the Doctor looked over, only for him and Evy to freeze as well, all four Time Lords, and one Time Toddler, staring at the painting before them in shock and horror, all of them recognizing the place, the scene that was taking place even though only three of them had actually _been_ there.

"Oh my god…" Evy mimicked Clara.

The painting was of a citadel of some sort, encased in a mighty glass dome that was shattered on the top, fires raging everywhere, clearly under attack and about to fall.

"Elizabeth's credentials," Kate swallowed, seeing their reactions.

"That's Arcadia," J breathed.

"But…" Clara shook her head, blinking at it, "But that's not possible."

"No more," the Doctor murmured, staring at the painting, a distant look in his eyes as though he were recalling something worlds away.

"That's the title," Kate agreed.

"I know the title."

"It's also…Gallifrey Falls, isn't it?" she glanced at Kate who nodded.

"This painting doesn't belong here, not in this time or place," the Doctor stated.

"Obviously," both Clara and Evy muttered.

"But how can it be the fall of Arcadia?" J looked at his parents, he knew all about Gallifrey's second city even if he had never been there. He…he'd seen it in his parents memories, he'd…seen it in Clara's as well.

Clara reached out and took J's hand, seeing that...she could imagine it, being there in the middle of that battle. She'd seen the Doctor, she…she HAD seen that one Doctor now that she thought about it, that man from the time tunnel, she'd SEEN him. He'd been trying to set up some sort of box, in the middle of it all, some sort of weapon and a Dalek had approached. She'd jumped in the way and he'd…she knew now, he'd looked back and seen her, before gathering up the box and rushing off, needing to get farther away.

"Popping," LJ pointed, moving up to the painting and touching it, "Not popping?" he frowned at the glass, as though confused as to why he couldn't touch the image.

"Yeah," Clara nodded, "An oil painting in 3D…"

"Time Lord art," Evy murmured, "It's bigger on the inside. Like…a moment in history that's just been frozen forever."

"Elizabeth told us where to find it, and its significance," Kate added.

J looked down, seeing tears forming in Clara's eyes, "You ok?" he whispered, quickly kissing her hand as his baby-self tried to touch the picture more.

"I just…" she swallowed, "That was my first death…"

He nodded, understanding her hesitation at that, she'd been a Time Lady for most of her life, her longest echo life actually, the reason she was a Time Lady now. That had been, in the grand scheme of her ultimate timeline, her first death ever. And it had been in the middle of the most terrible war out there. He knew she had lived and died hundreds of times, all to save him and his parents, but…they'd never had to encounter a reminder of it before. They hadn't gone to the Dalek Asylum, they steered clear of Victorian London, and he refused to let her set foot on Trenzalore again, so this…this was the first confrontation of a past life and death she was being faced with.

"He was there," the Doctor breathed.

"Who was?" Clara shook her head, looking over at them.

Evy reached out and took the Doctor's hand, speaking for him as she knew he hated to remember this part, "Him, the…the one who fought during the war," she looked at Clara, "The one you saw in the time tunnel that you didn't recognize, that was HIM."

J nodded, "The one who broke the promise."

The Doctor sighed, rubbing his face, "I've had many faces, many lives. I don't admit to all of them. There's one life I've tried very hard to forget…" he looked down as LJ ran back over to him, tugging on his pant. He smiled and picked the boy up, "For some very good reasons," he kissed LJ's head, looking at Evy softly, "That Doctor…" he glanced at the painting, "That was the day he did it. The day I did it. The day he killed them all."

"The very last day of the Time War," Evy breathed.

They all stood there, looking at the painting, at the reminder of what it was. The greatest War the Universe had ever been forced to endure, the war to end all wars, between their people and the Daleks. That battle…that battle had been the last straw for a man with more blood on his hands than any other, when he had looked back to see a young girl with brown hair, barely a few centuries old, fallen in battle. It would be the birth of a man who would commit a crime that would silence the universe.

The Doctor closed his eyes as Evy rested her forehead to his shoulder, that man…was the Doctor himself.

~8~

The Time Lord High Command walked through the halls of Arcadia's citadel, heading for the war room, having received word that the Doctor had appeared in the middle of the battle, stolen a soldier's gun, and left a message for Daleks and Time Lords alike, "The High Council is in emergency session," a young man, Androgar, reported as he followed his commander down the halls, "They have plans of their own."

"To hell with the High Council," the general spat as they entered the room, "Their plans have already failed. Gallifrey's still in the line of fire. So, he was there then?"

"He left a message," Androgar brought up a hologram of the words the Doctor had fired at he wall with a gun, 'No More,' "A written warning for the Daleks. He's a fool."

"No, he's a madman," the man rubbed his head, "And the Master has run…" he muttered.

Oh he wouldn't put it past the man to have escaped the bombing his platoon had suffered. They'd received word from a shuttle base nearby that a shuttle had been stolen, the visual records indicating it was the Master himself, fleeing. The coward. His sister had been recalled from battle, sent to sit on the Council as a result, the entirety of the council determining it was best to keep the family under the guise that he'd died. It was a last repayment to the patriarch of the family line, who had served for a time as President before honorably handing it over to Romana. It was the last bit of honor they could afford the family than to make it known that their heir had fled like a coward.

"As you can see, sir, all Dalek fleets surrounding the planet now converging on the capital, but the Sky Trenches are holding…" no sooner had he spoken did the room shake as a blast hit them, indicating the trenches wouldn't hold for long.

"Where did he go next?"

"What does it matter? This is their biggest ever attack, sir. They're throwing everything at us!"

"Sir, we have a security breach to the Time Vaults!" a young Time Lady ran in, frantic.

The general ran to the side, to a monitor, flicking it on to see a hologram of the vaults appear, of the area that the breach sounded in, "The Omega Arsenal, where all the forbidden weapons are locked away!"

"They're not forbidden anymore," Androgar scoffed, "We've used them all against the Daleks."

The general shook his head, "No. No we haven't," before he turned and stormed out of the room, Androgar rushing to keep up with him as he made his way down to the Vaults, to the Omega Arsenal at the bottom most level of the citadel itself. He strode up to a plinth, reaching out to put a hand on its empty top, "The Moment is gone," he breathed, horrified.

"I don't understand. What is the Moment? I've never heard of it."

"The galaxy eater," he bowed his head, realizing what had happened, what would be coming for them all, "The final work of the ancients of Gallifrey. A weapon so powerful, the operating system became sentient. According to legend, it developed a conscience."

"And we've never used it?!" it could have ended the war!

"How do you use a weapon of ultimate mass destruction when it can stand in judgment on you? There is only one man who would even try," he shook his head, "And only one man who would be able to seize it, to gain access to the Vaults," he turned to the young Time Lady who had joined them, "Show me the security footage," he demanded, looking at a hologram that began to play.

There was an old man, weary and worn, with a long beard, rushing through the halls, looking around but not stopping in his stride. They watched as he reached that very room and flashed a card across the scanners, gaining far too easy access, but that was to be expected of the former President of Gallifrey. They watched as he ran to the plinth, taking the device, a box with clockwork patterns on it, before he rushed out, the alarms unsounding.

"Is that…President…" Androgar began.

"No," the general cut in, "He is no longer president," he reminded the boy, "He is merely the Patriarch of the Sol family once more."

"But what's he doing?!" Androgar stared in horror as the man stopped at the entrance to the Vaults, another man, an older man, the Doctor, waiting there. There was no audio, they had not a clue what was being said, but the man passed the Moment over to the Doctor, who nodded and ran out. The image sped up, of the former President hacking into a communicator, a hologram of the man's wife appearing on the screen as they spoke, the woman starting to sob, before he rushed out, tripping the alarms in the process of his frantic escape.

"Sealing our fate," the general replied, grim.

~8~

On a desert planet, the Warrior, as he _refused_ to be called 'The Doctor' any longer, made his way through the deep sands, leaving the TARDIS waiting by a small cliff as he walked on, deep in thought.

"Time Lords of Gallifrey," he breathed, a sign he had truly gone mad that he was speaking to himself, "Daleks of Skaro, I serve notice on you all. Too long I have stayed my hand. No more. Today you leave me no choice. Today, this war will end. No more. No more," he sighed, looking up as he came to a small wooden cabin of sorts, like a small barn.

He shifted a sack he'd taken off his back and set it down in the middle of the room. He opened it and pulled out a box, that had intricate clockwork designs on it. He sighed, rubbing his forehead as he looked at it this way and that, "How…how do you work? Why is there never a big red button?" he glanced back suddenly where there was a scuttling noise from outside the door. He stood and made his way to it, peeking out, "Hello? Is somebody there?"

"It's nothing," a voice called behind him, "Full moons just make for an odd time I suppose."

He looked over to see a young woman, with brown hair and green eyes sitting on top of the Moment's case. She was wearing the oddest clothes, like something he'd have likely seen on Earth, jeans, he believed they were called, and a green turtleneck jumper, a necklace of an hourglass hanging from her neck, with white trainers on.

"Don't sit on that!" he shouted, rushing over to her, pulling her off the box.

"Well that's rude," she remarked, "To deny a Lady her seat."

"It's not a seat!" he cried, hurrying her to the doors of the barn, "It's the most dangerous weapon in the universe!" before he shoved her out. He shut the door and locked it, turning back…only to see her there again, sitting on the box, but this time with her arms crossed, an eyebrow lifted at him.

"Well you're ruder than I thought you'd be," she sighed, "You're lucky I'm so fond of you," she smiled at him, "Or is it WILL be fond of you? I can't quite remember. Perhaps it's both by now."

"What?" he frowned, confused, he'd never met that woman in his life!

"Why'd you set the TARDIS so far away?" she asked instead, "Trying to protect her? You walked for miles, and miles and miles and miles and miles…"

"I was thinking," he cut in.

"I know," she stretched out her legs, tilting her head as she observed him, "I heard you. I can always hear you."

"You heard me?" he shook his head.

"No more," she stated, taking a breath and standing, "Over again. But never about the same thing, was it? No more fighting, war, bloodshed, crying, children dy..."

"Stop it," he cut in again.

"I'm not mocking you," she held up her hands, seeing him glare at her, "Quite the opposite, I applaud you. You still care, after all this time, you still can't bear to see children cry."

He frowned a that, at how well she seemed to know him, "Who are you?" but before she could answer the clockwork on the box began to tick, "It's activating!" he cried, "Get out of here!" he ran to the box as the woman turned to eye him, her eyes flashing gold as he reached out to the box, touching it and snapping his hand away, "Ow!"

"What's wrong?"

"The interface is hot."

"Well, thank you," she smiled, "Been waiting a long time to hear you call me that. Probably'll have to wait longer though…"

"There's a power source inside," the Warrior muttered, not really hearing her…till a moment later as he looked up at her, sitting on a crate off to the side, " _You're_ the interface?"

" _You're_ the Doctor," she countered, "My Doctor…or is it…HER Doctor?" she shrugged, taking on an image tended to give her thoughts and glimpses into the life of that person, "Patriarch Sol DID tell you the Moment had a conscience, didn't he?" her father would never be so unprepared as to do that, well…not HER father but her image's father, "And here I am," she hopped off the crate, "At your service Doctor."

"You know me?" he eyed her.

"I just told you…" she sighed, "Weren't you listening? Oh, you won't listen, you won't hear me for a quite some time will you? Might take a few more smacks…" she murmured, before shaking her head, "I told you, I can HEAR you. In here," she tapped her head, "I've always heard…no…SHE's always heard you, all of you, every single version of you," she eyed him a moment, "Don't you wonder why I chose this face? This appearance? It's someone that will come to be…quite important to you in the future. VERY important."

But the Warrior shook his head, "I don't have a future."

"You better have one otherwise I'll kill you," she crossed her arms.

He frowned at her, "Who ARE you? Not…not the interface but…you," he gestured at her appearance.

"Can't say," she shrugged, "True name, title, nickname…too many to pick from so…" she paused, considering it, "I suppose…Beautiful Bird will have to do," she smiled, "Oh, I like that. What do you think Doctor?"

He winced, "Stop calling me Doctor."

"Well it IS your name. It's your title, YOU picked it."

"I shouldn't have," he sighed, moving to sit on a crate beside the Moment, "I've been fighting this war for a long time. I've lost the right to be the Doctor."

The interface looked at him, before appearing beside him, sitting there, "It must be a terrible burden, to be the one to save us all."

"Yes," he murmured, before glancing at her, "If you have been inside my head, then you know what I've seen. The suffering. Every moment in time and space is burning. It must end, and I intend to end it the only way I can."

"By using me to do it," she nodded, "To kill all of them, Daleks, Time Lords, every species that only existed on Gallifrey as well," she sighed, stretching her legs as she tilted her head, "I _could_ do it…but it'll come with a price, there will be consequences for you."

"I have no desire to survive this."

" _That's_ the price," she remarked, "You do this, you make me kill them all, I will save you, no matter what, and you _will_ live. You're going to burn our home and all those Daleks with it. Every tree, every flower, every animal…" she eyed him, "Every _child_ ," she saw him wince, "Can you guess many children are on Gallifrey right now? How many are still alive?"

"I don't know," he looked away, not wanting to know.

"You will one day, you'll count them. One night, one terrible night you'll work it out," she tilted her head more as she just...watched him, "Do you want to see what that'll make of you? What you'll become for it?" she turned to look up at the corner of the barn, a swirling portal opening in the air above them, "I'm opening windows on your future. Reaching out across time, through the days yet to come, to show you what sort of man you'll be if you do this…"

And then...a fez fell through the portal.

"I wish I were solid so I could smack you for that," the hologram remarked, startling the Warrior a moment.

~8~

The Doctor swallowed hard as he stared at the painting, his arm locking around Evy, needing her there. That day…had been the worst day of his life, to Time Lock the planet and know that he was condemning everyone within to their ends. He'd been so alone after that, so terribly, terribly alone and…he regretted it, every single day he'd regretted it. He had tried to search his brain for some way that he could have done something differently, that he could have not done that, saved them all and been a Doctor…but there was nothing.

' _It's alright,_ ' Evy whispered in his mind, turning to rest her forehead to his temple, ' _There wasn't just darkness and loss and pain,_ ' she lifted LJ's hand and took it, the Doctor looking down at it and then to her, ' _We found joy and beauty, it made us stronger, it made us better,_ ' she leaned in and kissed him, ' _Do you know how many places you saved because of the guilt of Gallifrey?_ '

He smiled at her a bit, ' _Quite a few I'd imagine._ '

' _Millions,_ ' she corrected, ' _Remember Theta, no matter what, I will always push those good thoughts into your vision if I have to spend the next eleven hours showing you every single person that you saved_.'

He nodded, kissing her temple in thanks, so grateful he had his own little moon lighting up his darkness. Finding Evy had been…the best day of his life. He'd lost the Master but gained a Link, a woman who challenged him and fought for him and had given him a family again…he just…he didn't know where he'd be if she had been trapped on Gallifrey.

"But the Time War's over," Clara looked at Kate, "Why have you brought us here to look at a painting?"

"There's got to me more to it," J agreed.

Kate nodded, "The painting only serves as Elizabeth's credentials, proof that the letter is from her. It's not why you're here."

The Doctor looked down at the paper in his hands and handed LJ to Evy as he tore the seal open and unfolded the letter, reading it quickly as Clara, J, and Evy gathered around him to read along.

_My dearest love,_

_I hope the painting known as Gallifrey Falls will serve as proof that it is your Elizabeth who writes to you now. You will recall that you pledged yourself to the safety of my kingdom. In this capacity I have appointed you as curator of the Under Gallery, where deadly danger to England is locked away. Should any disturbance occur within its walls, it is my wish that you be summoned._

_God speed, gently husband._

Evy frowned, "Hold on… _husband_?" she eyed the Doctor, before putting a hand on her hip as she lifted an eyebrow, "Ten seconds to explain."

"I…I don't…" he shook his head, sputtering, "I have no idea, I _really don't_ ," he looked at Evy, staring her in the eyes, "I honestly have absolutely _no_ idea what this is about," he held up the letter, crossing his hearts.

Evy stared him down a moment before nodded, "Well then," she offered him a smile, "We'd best find out then. Because I _don't_ share my Link."

The Doctor let out a breath at that, smiling as he gave her a quick peck, "I love you," he murmured.

"I love you too," she kissed him again.

"So…" J cut in, trying to stem his parents from another snogging session, "What happened Katie?"

"Easier to show you," Kate sighed, before gesturing for them to follow her, and so they did, out of the room as one of the men who had accompanied them answered their phone.

"McGillop," the man began as they disappeared through a door, "But that's not possible. I was just…"

"Down!" LJ wiggled in Evy's arms as she set him down, a metal shutter coming down behind them to block the path into the main gallery, taking LJ's hand as they walked through the corridors after Kate.

They paused though when they came to a large portrait of Elizabeth I…and the Doctor's last incarnation standing there in period dress.

"I…" the Doctor frowned, blinking at it, "I don't…" he stepped forward, a look of utter confusion on his face as he stared at the portrait, at himself.

"Lizzie One," J whistled.

"You knew her, then?" Clara eyed the Doctor.

"I…honestly don't know anymore," the Doctor murmured.

"We met her once," Evy remarked, "Well twice," she conceded, recalling that time with Shakespeare, "But…it was when we brought Jack to her court after…" she glanced at J, "After Ianto passed."

J nodded, understanding that as Clara subtly took his hand, having heard stories of his beloved Uncle Ianto.

"Jack got drunk," the Doctor nodded, "So much for the Virgin Queen but…" he turned around, looking at Evy, actually seeming quite alarmed and frightened by this, "I don't remember this happening," he pointed at the painting.

Evy just eyed it, frowning before shaking her head, "One problem at a time," she looked at Kate, "Kate…what did you need our help for originally?"

"This way," she turned and led them through a doorway that the painting opened up to, to a hall, "Welcome to the Under Gallery. This is where Elizabeth the First kept all art deemed too dangerous for public consumption," she led them into a room full of statues with cloths draped over them, dust and what looked like sand all over the floor.

"No!" Evy reached out and took LJ's hands as the boy picked up fistfuls of the sand and attempted to lick it, brushing his hands off before he could, "No doing that," she pointed playfully at the boy, "Let's let daddy lick the nasty sand, he seems to have developed a fondness for that," she smirked back at him.

"Oh ha ha," the Doctor rolled his eyes from where he was crouched in the dust, scooping handfuls of it and letting it sift between his fingers, "You taste dead sand _once_ and she never lets you forget it."

"Yes, _once_ ," Evy rolled her eyes, "And then there was that wall you licked, the blood you tasted, the shed you tried to taste, the…"

"Ok," he cut in, "I think they get it."

Evy laughed and shook her head, turning to Clara only to blink, "Um…Clara…" she nodded behind the girl who frowned and looked back…to see J sitting in the dust making a small picture of sorts.

"Cap'n?" Clara eyed him oddly, walking over to him, "Why are you playing in the dir…" she trailed off though when she saw what he'd done, traced C&S in a heart, and she knew it was their Gallifreyan names.

She crouched down beside him but a bit over him, making it seem like she was leaning over his shoulder, just so she could kiss his cheek without LJ noticing, " _I love you,_ " she whispered to him in Gallifreyan, knowing he loved it when she did that, when she spoke in their native tongue.

" _Not more than I love you,_ " he smiled up at her.

"This dust…" the Doctor began as Evy pulled out her sonic from the small holster belt she wore and scanned it.

"Is it important?" Kate shook her head, not following.

"Important enough for him to consider tasting it," Evy remarked.

The Doctor just stood, brushing off his hands, "In twelve hundred years I've never stepped in anything that wasn't," he defended.

"Oi, you!" J called, spotting that girl with the scarf through the doorway as she made a squeaking noise, "Are you sciency?"

"Oh, er," the girl made her way in, "Well, er, yes."

"What's your name sweetheart?" Evy asked.

"Yes," was all the star struck girl could manage.

"Lovely," the Doctor grinned, "I've always wanted to meet someone called Yes."

Evy just rolled her eyes at that and slapped him on the back of the head, ignoring his cry of 'ow!' to smile at the girl, "Could you do us a favor and have this stone dust analyzed?"

"Yes and I want a report in triplicate," the Doctor added, "With lots of graphs and diagrams and complicated sums on my desk, tomorrow morning, ASAP, pronto, LOL. See?" he pointed at Clara, "Job," before moving his finger to Kate, "Do I have a desk?"

"No," Kate laughed.

"And I want a desk," the Doctor turned to the girl.

"Crayons!" LJ called, tugging on his father's hand.

"Yes, and a packet of colored crayons, some coloring books, and some sweet…" he was cut off by Evy's hand over his mouth.

" _None_ of the above," she warned the girl, "The last time anyone gave him crayons AND sweets he…" was as far as she got before she pulled her hand away from the grinning Doctor's mouth with a cry of "Doctor!" before she rolled her eyes and wiped her hand off on her tan pants, wearing her favorite tan western outfit with a light blue top, "Honestly! Again?!"

"Never gets old," the Doctor winked at her, sticking his tongue out to complete the effect.

"Get a team," Kate called to the young girl, "Analyze the stone dust," before she turned to head out.

J saluted the young woman as the Doctor sent her a wink, making her wheeze.

"Inhaler!" Kate shouted as they followed her out and into another display room.

Evy laughed as she watched LJ running ahead of her, trying to get a closer look at all the exhibits there while J and Clara stopped to look at a painting of Cybermen in a fallen army. She looked back when she reached the doorway to see that the Doctor had stopped and plucked a red fez form a glass display case, "One day," she shook her head, "One day you might just walk past a fez."

"Never gonna happen," he grinned.

Clara just shook her head at them, amused, "Thank god you don't like fezzes," she remarked to J.

"Or the infamous bow-tie," J winked at her before they stepped into the final room, a large white room with wood flooring, and portraits of landscapes hanging around. There was shattered glass on the floor as they carefully made their way around it, the Doctor picking up LJ to avoid him trying to touch the 'pretty glass' and hurt himself.

"As you instructed," one of the guards nodded to Kate as she entered, "Nothing has been touched."

She gave the guard a nod, sending him out before she gestured at the room, " _This_ is why we called you in."

"3D again," Clara nodded at the paintings.

"Well look at that…" J remarked, eyeing the broken glass instead, crouching down.

Evy slapped J's hand away as he went to try and pick up a piece, "It's broken wrong," she agreed.

"Yes, the shatter pattern," the Doctor bobbed LJ a bit, "The glass on all these paintings has been broken from the _inside_."

"As you can see, all the paintings are landscapes," Kate added, "No figures of any kind."

"So then what's wrong?" Clara looked at her.

"There _used_ to be," Kate told them, holding up a tablet to the landscape with the broken glass, the four of them gathering around behind her, seeing that there was a shadowy figure standing in the fields that wasn't there anymore.

"Well, not the first time something's been in a painting that shouldn't be," Evy sighed.

"You mean something's got _out_ the paintings?" Clara turned to them.

"Lots of somethings," J guessed, rubbing the back of his neck, not quite liking this situation any longer.

"Dangerous somethings," the Doctor agreed.

Clara and Evy exchanged and amused look as the men started to look around the room warily, as though they were expecting something to be hiding in there when there was literally nothing but pictures hanging around and the five of them standing there. They shook their heads at their men, having to admit it was infinitely sweet how defensive and protective and cautious they got when they sensed danger to their Links. Even LJ was trying to mimic his father's serious expression.

"This whole place has been searched," Kate told them, "There's nothing here that shouldn't be, and nothing's got out."

They all spun around, hearing something blaze to life behind them, to see a sort of swirling air appear, like a fissure in time.

"Oh no," the Doctor groaned, handing LJ over to the nearest person, Clara, "Not now."

Evy frowned as she eyed the portal, she didn't recognize it but…she could tell it was slightly (vaguely) familiar from the Doctor's memories…she just couldn't place where or how…which was odd…for his old age he actually had a surprisingly good memory.

"What is it?" Clara squinted at it.

"Pretty!" LJ cheered, clapping as his older self grinned.

"I knew it," J murmured, nodding to himself as though some sort of distant memory had been reaffirmed.

"No, not now!" the Doctor just continued to shout at it, "I'm busy!"

"Is it to do with the paintings?" Kate asked.

"I don't think so," Evy shook her head.

"This is different," the Doctor agreed, "I remember this. Almost remember," he reached up to touch his head…pulling the fez off of it and staring at it, "Oh, of course. This is where _I_ come in," he realized, before eyeing the fez and then the portal, back and forth, reluctant to do anything.

J grinned, seeing an opening to 'pull a River' and grabbed the fez and ran for the portal, jumping into it, "Oi!" the Doctor called, "Give that back!" and chased after them.

"Cap'n!" Clara tried to rush after him but Kate and Evy pulled her back, LJ pouting as he wanted to jump through the thingy.

"Hold on Clara," Evy murmured, pulling out her sonic to scan the portal, this…wasn't something she and the Doctor were familiar with.

~8~

"Oomph!" the Doctor landed heavily.

"You know you're not exactly light," J groaned as the man literally landed ON him.

The Doctor laughed and got up, holding out a hand to his son to help him stand, both of them brushing off the other and themselves from the leaves and dirt they'd landed in…when they noticed a rather…odd sight. The Doctor's last incarnation, standing there before two Queen Elizabeths and a blonde girl, and him wearing a fez.

"Oh you've GOT to be kidding me," J groaned when he saw none other than Rose Tyler standing beside his father's last self.

Wonderful

"Who are these men?" the Elizabeths demanded at the same time Rose frowned and asked, "Who are they?"

"That's just what I was wondering," 10 remarked.

"Oh, that is skinny," 11 eyed himself, "That is proper skinny. I've never seen it from the outside. It's like a special effect."

"Fez," was all J had to say to get him back on track, going oddly quiet suddenly, his expression rather…cold and sour as he looked at Rose, the woman inching nearer to his 'father.'

"Oi!" 11 ran over and grabbed the fez off of 10's head, "Ha! Matchstick man."

10 just eyed him and J a moment before seeming to realize who they were, "You're not…" he slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out his sonic, 11 doing the same. J had to smirk, seeing an opportunity to pull one over on his father and took his out as well, all three of them holding up their sonics so that they could compare. 10 with his blue tip, 11 with his larger green one, and J with his slick red one.

"Compensating?" 10 glanced at 11, seeing that J's was more his size.

"For what?" 11 glared.

"I can tell you what Jack would say," J smirked as he put the sonic away.

"Don't you dare!" 11 pointed at him.

10 laughed at that, "Regeneration," he clarified, "It's a lottery."

"One you never seem to win," J remarked, "I mean look at him, bow-tie? Floppy hair? That chin?"

"Oi!" 11 rounded on him, knowing that his son was just teasing, "There's only one person whose opinion matters and she happens to LOVE all that."

J rolled his eyes, seeing Rose smiling, just knowing that she…

"I think it suits you," Rose offered.

J rubbed his face, and there it was. Rose bloody Tyler, thinking _she_ was the one companion to rule them all, the be all-end all of the companions. Oh why did he have to try and steal his father's fez? Couldn't he have just let the man throw it in himself? But noooooo…he had to go and have a bit of fun. Well that solved that, no more fun for him. No, from now on he'd be Mr. Sirius Lee Serious.

Oh who was he kidding, that would last all of ten seconds.

"Thanks," 11 simply nodded at Rose, "And you want to have a go at _me_?" he continued to J, "What about HIM?" he nodded at 10, "Oh, he's cool. Isn't he cool? I'm the Doctor and I'm all cool. Oops, I'm wearing sandshoes!" he pointed at 10's feet.

"What are you _doing_ here?" 10 whispered, stalking over to the two people he assumed were his future selves, "I'm busy."

"Yeah you sure seem busy," J muttered, casting a distasteful glance at Rose, who frowned, spotting it, "Is that what you called it?" but that last part was said more to his own father than 10 or Rose.

11 rolled his eyes, "Let it GO," he told the boy, all too aware of his feelings towards Rose, which he couldn't understand, she was a companion, that was all she'd ever be to him when he had Evy, "We've moved on, to bigger and FAR better things," he patted J on the shoulder, "You KNOW that."

J sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, "Yeah."

"Which is why I can do this," he put the fez on his head and bowed to the three women, "Hello, ladies," before standing, "With complete confidence that I won't be murdered later for it."

"Give it time, she just might," J remarked, knowing that his mother had more patience and faith in his father and his fidelity than anyone...but that didn't mean she would want him flirting and such with other women.

"Don't start," 10 rolled his eyes at 11.

"Listen, what you get up to in the privacy of your own regeneration is your business…" 11 began.

"Actually it's OUR business," J countered.

"Well, really MY business," 11 reminded him.

Rose grimaced, "Oh that's disgusting," she worked out what they were talking about, "One of them is a Zigon."

"ZYgon," J corrected instantly.

"And I'm not judging you," 11 added.

" _I_ am," J muttered, but before 11 could remark to that the portal appeared again.

"I think I've got it…" they could hear Evy speaking, the small whir of a sonic fading off.

J glanced over at his 'fathers' to see they had slipped on their brainy specs, well 10 had, 11 had put on Amy's reading glasses. Both of them looked at each other and grinned, "Oh, lovely."

Rose laughed and walked over to their side, "Where's yours?" she asked him.

"Where's my what?" J countered, turning his attention to the fissure, stepping a bit more to the side and way from Rose.

Rose frowned at that but brushed if off as just his incarnation's personality, "Your specs?"

J scoffed, "Not all of us feel the need to wear glasses to be cool," he glanced at his fathers, "You don't even need them!" he called.

Rose shook her head, "Right then, what is that and what do we do?"

"Well, first things first," 11 began, turning to the two Elizabeths, "Your Majesties. Probably a good time to run."

"But what about the creature?" the two women asked.

10 spun to them, "Elizabeth, whichever one of you is the real one, turn and run in the opposite direction to the other one."

"Of course, my love," they both said, before one ran up to him.

"Stay alive, my love," she whispered, "I am not done with you yet," before she kissed him, making 11 and J grimace and Rose look away uncomfortably, she hadn't quite been a fan of this plan.

It was just like with Queen Victoria all over again, he'd charmed the Queen and flirted with this one a bit, while she was left being the 'feral child' once more. It irritated her but she'd done it for the sake of protecting the Queen, especially when the Doctor had determined a Zygon thing was after her. So she'd gone along for the ride, pretending to be his 'assistant,' a former feral child (or SHE insisted it was former, the Doctor hadn't quite seemed to get around to saying that yet).

"Thanks," 10 muttered as the woman ran off, "Lovely."

Only for the second Elizabeth to rush up, "I understand. Live for me, my darling. We shall be together again!" and kiss him as well before heading off.

"Well, won't that be nice?"

"You _do_ realize one of them was a _Zygon_ , yeah?" J had to ask, wondering if his father was truly THAT oblivious in his last self.

"Yeah."

"That big tentacle thing?" Rose added.

"Yeah."

"Venom sacs in the tongue?" 11 reminded him.

"Yeah, I'm getting the point, thank you!"

"Doctor," Evy called, "Is that you?"

"Cap'n?" Clara added, "You there?"

"Eves!" 11 smiled, well beamed more like it…which made Rose's smile fall at hearing two different women speak and yet…neither of them were HER.

"Hello Clar!" J laughed, "You alright?"

"Yeah, we're fine," Clara called back.

"Where did you turn up this time?" Evy asked.

"Where are we?" 11 looked at 10.

"England, 1562," he answered.

"Who are you talking to?" Clara wondered.

"Who else?" J laughed, "Himself."

"Oi!" both men pouted at him.

"Can you come back through?" Rose's frown deepened as yet ANOTHER woman who wasn't her spoke. Where was she? Why wasn't she talking? She _should_ have been, she would have been there, no doubt in her mind. She'd be with the Doctor forever. Look at her! She was there with three of them right at that very moment!

"I told you Kate," Evy spoke, "Physical passage is just one-way and we can't risk going through if we might be needed here to get them back."

"Oh!" 11 called, "But, but! We might be able to send objects," he pulled the fez off his head, taking a step away from J to keep him from snatching it back, "Hang on. Fez incoming!" and tossed it through.

"Nope."

"Nothing here," Clara agreed.

10 frowned, "So where did it go?"

~8~

The Warrior slowly brushed off the fez that landed before him, before standing up and moving before the portal, "Who's he talking to?" the Kate woman asked.

"J said himself," Clara whispered back.

"Yup," Evy agreed, "Finally went completely mad haven't you?"

~8~

"Oi!" the Doctors shouted as Clara and Evy shook their heads, standing in the Gallery, LJ on the ground, held between Clara and Evy's hands so he would run for the portal too like his father and future self had.

"Keep him talking," Kate told them, before heading out, pulling out her mobile as she went, "Malcolm? Malcolm, I need you to send me one of my father's incident files. Codenamed Cromer. 70s or 80s depending on the dating protocol…"

She didn't even notice something growling and watching her go…

~8~

10 looked at 11 and J, "Ok, you used to be me, you've done all this before. What happens next?"

"I don't remember," 11 shrugged.

"And I'm not you," J added quietly.

"What?" Rose looked at J, apparently the only one who had heard him.

Especially when 10 just turned to 11, confused, "How can you forget this?"

"Hey, hang on," 11 pointed at him, "It's not _my_ fault. You're obviously not paying enough attention."

"Wait, so if you're not them…" Rose shook her head, looking at J suspiciously.

"Reverse the polarity," J called, rolling his eyes at them, "Honestly, the mind really does go in old age doesn't it?"

The two men just rolled their own eyes and pulled out their sonics, flashing it at the portal, but nothing happened.

"It's not working," 11 remarked.

"We're both reversing the polarity," 10 reminded him.

"Yes, I know that."

"There's two of us. I'm reversing it, you're reversing it back again."

"You're confusing the polarity," J shook his head, about to add his sonic to help nudge it in the right direction…when the three men suddenly stiffened as the Warrior jumped through the portal, standing before them.

"Anyone lose a fez?" the man held it up.

Rose frowned, seeing 11 subtly reach out and move J behind him, as though protecting him though J himself pulled out his own sonic and seemed to have set his jaw as eyed the man warily.

"You," 10 breathed.

"Who's he?" Rose asked.

"How can you be here?"

"Doctor who is he?"

"More to the point, _why_ are you here?"

"Doctor!"

"Oh shut up!" J shouted at her, "Clearly he's got more on his mind than answering you and if ONE person has managed to shock HIM into thate…wouldn't you assume it's serious and NEEDS his attention?"

Rose quieted down at that, realizing the logic in his words.

"Good afternoon," the Warrior smiled amicably, "I'm...looking for the Doctor."

"Well, you've certainly come to the right place," 10 remarked.

"Good. Right. Well, who are you boys?" he eyed the three of them, "And your lovely lady?" but they were silent, "Oh, of course. Are you his companions?"

"Yeah," Rose smiled, proud.

"His companions?!" 11, though, was a bit less pleased.

"They get younger all the time," the Warrior stated.

"Yeah, tell me about it," J rolled his eyes, casting a glance at Rose who frowned at that slight against her age, what was wrong with 19?!

"Well, if you could point me in the general direction of the Doctor?" 10 and 11 just glanced at each other, lifting up their sonics, J going along with it for the moment, the longer he could fool them the better their reaction would be later, "Really?"

"Yeah," J laughed.

"Really," 10 nodded.

"You're me?" the Warrior eyed them, "All of you?"

"Well…" 11 began, glancing at J.

But 10 cut in, "Yep."

"Why not?" J grinned, excited for this little joke.

"Even that one?" the Warrior pointed at 11, which surprised J as he was younger looking than his father, but only by a year or two really.

"Yes!" 11 exclaimed.

"You're my future selves?"

"Yes!" 10 and 11 shouted as J just laughed.

"Am I having a midlife crisis?" the Warrior frowned, seeing the three of them pointing the sonics at him, "Why are you pointing your screwdrivers like that? They're scientific instruments, not water pistols. Look like you've seen a ghost."

"Near enough," J remarked, knowing that this version of the Doctor was long dead by the time he'd been born.

"Still, loving the posh gravelly thing," 10 commented, "It's very convincing."

"Brave words, Dick van Dyke," 11 muttered…

When suddenly a troop of soldiers ran up to them, "Encircle them!" one of the men ordered and the guards did just that, surrounding them, the Doctors and J pointing their sonics out defensively, "Which of you is the Doctor? The Queen of England is bewitched. I would have the Doctor's head."

"Oh it's just raining Doctors you know," J grinned, "Hallelujah."

"I think there's three of them now," Clara murmured, her voice still audible though the portal.

"There's a precedent for that," Kate agreed.

"Yes, you're welcome for that one," Evy laughed, "Any other plans you need me to draw up?"

"What is that?" the young man looked up at the portal, gasping.

"Oh, the pointing again," the Warrior noticed the other Time Lords aiming their sonics, "They're _screwdrivers_! What are you going to do, assemble a cabinet at them?"

"Well mine can do this," J pointed at a log and fired a small laser at it, making it smoke, before winking at them, "I've been experimenting," he shrugged.

"That thing," the head guard stared at the swirling portal, having missed J's little display as he couldn't seem to pull his gaze away from the window in time, "What witchcraft is it?"

"Not a Carrionite," J remarked.

But 11 just pointed at the man, "Ah, yes. Now that you mention it, that _is_ witchcraft. Yes, yes, yes. Witchy witchcraft. Hello?" he turned to the portal, "Hello in there. Excuse me. Hello! Am I talking to the wicked witch of the well? Clara?"

"Why am _I_ the witch?" Clara asked.

J smiled, able to hear what was probably the most adorable pout in the world in her voice, "Well you certainly bewitched me Clar," he told her, as 11 looked over to see him smiling softly, "My hearts, my mind, my soul. Every single part of me."

Rose frowned as she eyed the young man, he…couldn't be the Doctor. He just couldn't. Because she and the Doctor were…well, she didn't know at that point what they were, but they were something. She could remember when Cassandra had gotten in her head, how threatening and…powerful he'd been in his quest to get _her_ back. Which…actually made her think that the other person, the man in the purple, wasn't him either. He just…sort of looked through her like any old person.

"And if he wants to live to see tomorrow," Evy added, "He'd be careful in what he calls me."

~8~

In the Gallery, Clara smiled softly at J's words, "Flattery will get you…everywhere Cap'n," she told him with a small laugh. How had she gotten so lucky as to have HIM for a Link?

"I ask myself that about the Doctor," Evy remarked, seeing her expression.

Clara was actually…projecting her thoughts rather loudly, she couldn't help but hear them, but she could also see it in her expression, that soft look of wonder, like you couldn't believe that person was for you. She felt that at least twice a day when she was with the Doctor. It was the most wonderful feeling in the world, to feel like you had this magnificent gift and didn't deserve it at all. And the fact that it was YOURS despite that just made it all the more special

Clara looked over at her, "Well, I guess he had to get _something_ decent from him," she joked.

"Oi!" 11 called through the portal, "We're standing right here. I CAN still hear you you know. So if you wouldn't mind telling these prattling mortals to get themselves begone?"

Clara eyed Evy, "Be thankful I read him more bedtime stories," was all she could murmur to that.

Clara turned back to the portal, "What he said?"

11 sighed, "Eves?"

She laughed and shook her head, "All ye mortals!" she shouted, making Clara jump, "Ye prattling, simpering whelps! Be off with you, lest I turn you into frogs!"

"Ooh," 11 called out and they could just imagine him waving his hands around, "Frogs. Nice. You heard her."

"Cap'n, what's going on?" Clara asked, knowing he'd answer her.

"It's a timey-wimey thing," 11 cut in.

"Timey what?" another voice, the Warrior Evy recalled, she recognized that voice, scoffed. She knew all the voices he'd ever had, she'd been in his head the entire time, she knew them all by heart, she knew which Doctor this was. He never liked talking about the man, so she never did, "Timey-wimey?"

"I've no idea where he picks that stuff up," 10 remarked.

"But you said it…" Rose began.

Evy's smile turned a bit sad as she heard the woman speak, it was…weird that the Doctor hadn't remembered this, but it made more sense now. All the Doctors being there, it would be too much in the end and as soon as they separated, they'd forget this entire thing, from the moment the timelines began to converge, probably just before the 10th Doctor set down in Elizabethan England. It would explain why he didn't really remember anything to do with Elizabeth, it would also explain why Rose was there.

She got a vague inkling, like a hazy memory on the Doctor's part, that it had something to do with Queen Victoria, how they'd seen her be scratched by a werewolf, that the Doctor had decided to look back on other important monarchs and make sure nothing was attacking them. Yes…she was getting that now, so this was just after Victoria, but before Sarah Jane then…oh dear, poor Rose was in for a time. She had to wonder though (as there was no doubt in her mind that she and Clara would find a way down there) if Rose's meeting the two of them, two Time Ladies, would be what made her so distant and short with Sarah Jane to start? She supposed she'd never know, Rose would likely forget this meeting as well.

~8~

In the clearing the soldiers fell to their knees, "The Queen!" they bowed deeply as Elizabeth sauntered out from between the trees, "The Queen!"

"You don't seem to be kneeling," Elizabeth eyed the small group, all four men and Rose, "How tremendously brave of you."

"Well, sort of found out I've got a rather bad sense of danger," J shrugged, "That's what you get when you end up with a saber-tooth tiger as a pet when you're five…and I should _not_ have said that, should I?" J looked at 11 who was frantically shaking his head and making cutting motions at his neck, only to face palm at that.

"A what when you're how old?!" Evy shouted.

J winced, "Nothing!"

"Which one are you?" Rose cut in, looking at Elizabeth, the Queen of England was much more important a topic than some sort of pet.

"What happened to the other one?" 10 agreed.

"Indisposed," Elizabeth smirked, making them all stiffen, realizing she had to be the Zygon, "Long live the _Queen_."

"Long live the Queen!" the soldiers cheered.

"Arrest these men and their feral child," she eyed Rose with distaste, "Take them to the Tower."

"Don't listen to her!" Rose shouted.

"That is not the Queen of England, that's an alien duplicate!" 10 pointed.

"Take his word for it," J smirked, "He thoroughly checked."

"Oh, shut up!"

"Venom sacs in the tongue," 11 defended his son.

"Seriously, stop it."

"Actually, brilliant!" J cheered, grinning a grin that had Rose looking between him and 10 curiously at how similar they were, "The Tower would be lovely actually."

"What?!" Rose demanded, "What do you mean _lovely_?"

"I mean perfect, best place to be, the Tower."

"It's a _prison_!"

"It's a _plan_ ," J rolled his eyes, "Honestly Rose, for once just shut up and do as you're told!"

"That…is genius!" 11 looked at his son, catching onto the plan.

"Well," he shrugged, "Always have a backup eh?"

Rose eyed him oddly, "Why'd you just wink at the portal?"

"No reason," J smirked, "Do I need a reason? Don't always need a reason to do something."

~8~

In the Gallery, Evy and Clara glanced at each other, shaking their heads as they smiled, "He's definitely your son," Clara remarked to her quietly.

"Mummy best!" LJ cheered, hugging her legs as she smiled.

~8~

"Right then, the Tower," 11 turned to Elizabeth, "Breakfast at eight, please. Will there be Wi-Fi?"

"Are you capable of speaking without flapping your hands about?" the Warrior rolled his eyes, seeing 11 swishing his hands all about.

"Yes."

"No," J scoffed, before looking at Elizabeth, "Listen up Bessie, I demand to be incarcerated in the Tower immediately with my co-conspirators Chinny, Sandshoes, Granddad, and Wolf Girl," he nodded back at Rose.

"Granddad?" the Warrior shot him a look.

"More true than you think," J eyed him, he was the oldest version of his father he'd come across in the man's past.

"They're not sandshoes!" 10 defended.

"Oh yeah they are," J looked down, "Look up the definition of sandshoes in the dictionary and there'll be a picture of them."

"I'm not a feral child!" Rose hissed.

"Near enough with the little hiss you just gave," he wiped his face, "Say it, don't spray it Tyler," and then he looked at his father, "What, nothing to say about your chin?"

"What about it?" 11 grinned, "Evy loves my chin."

~8~

Evy nodded, picking up LJ, "That I do."

~8~

"Silence!" Elizabeth cut in, "The Tower is not to be taken lightly. Very few emerge again."

"Correctamundo!" J pointed at her as she stared at him oddly.

"Are you completely mad?!" Rose shook her head at him.

"Yep," he grinned quite proudly at that, "Runs in the family…" he blinked, "Literally now that I think about dad and uncle Harry…hmm…" he nodded, "Oh well, makes life more interesting."

~8~

"Dear God, that boy is clever," Kate breathed as she stood behind Evy and Clara.

"That he is," Clara smiled, before blinking, "Um…what was he clever about?"

"No time," Evy turned to put an arm around her…only for LJ to try and climb out of her arms and over to Clara, wanting to be carried by her, the girl obliging, "We need to go to the Tower. Kate?"

"This way," Kate nodded, leading them out, not seeing Evy eye her with a hard look when her back was turned, her sonic beeping in its holster in warning.

~8~

The door to the dungeons of the Tower were thrown open as the four men and Rose were shoved in, "Come on, you lot, get in there," the warden pushed them.

"Ow," the Warrior grumbled as he stumbled.

But the warden didn't bother to apologize as he slammed the door shut behind them, leaving them alone.

"Now…something sharp…jagged," 11 looked around, only for J to hand him a pocket knife he recognized as Jack's, " _Don't_ tell your mother you have this," he warned the boy, knowing Evy would throw a fit he had a knife on him despite being over 300 years old, before flicking said knife open and moving to a stone pillar starting to scratch something into the stone.

"So…" J spun around, his hands in his pockets as he eyed the men, "Three of you in one cell? Not sure the Universe can take that."

"Three of YOU?" Rose turned to him, crossing her arms as she stood beside 10, "So you're NOT the Doctor then."

"God no," J shook his head, wondering how long it would take the three men to realize that they could sense he was a Time Lord (hence why they'd thought he was their future self as well) and couple that with the fact that he was NOT the Doctor to work out who he was, "There's only one Doctor, and that's him…" he nodded back at his father…before blinking, "And him…" and then to 10, "And him…" and then to the Warrior, "Ok, not a very good example, give me time."

"He's right though," 11 agreed, "It's going to cause some nasty anomalies if we don't get out soon."

"What are you doing?" 10 eyed him scratching away.

"Getting us out."

"And what are YOU doing?" Rose eyed the Warrior as he soniced the wooden door. She'd seen how the three men reacted to him and she could tell he likely wasn't a good man if they were so wary of him.

"Like he said, getting us out," the man mumbled.

"The sonic won't work on that, it's too primitive," 10 called.

"Shall we ask for a better quality of door so we can escape?" 11 looked at him.

"Ok," 10 sighed, "So the Queen of England is now a Zygon…"

"Which you kissed," J grimaced, not just because it was a Zygon, but because it wasn't his mother. Who would have thought he'd spent so much of his childhood being embarrassed by them kissing…now he just wanted the man to kiss his mother and only her.

"Never mind that," 10 blushed, "Why are we all together? Why are we all here? Well, me, Chinny, and Sonny Boy," he nodded at J, the boy a bit too young for him to feel comfortable with him being there even if he had a sonic, "We were surprised, but _you_ came looking for us," he turned to the Warrior, "You knew it was going to happen. Who told you?"

The Warrior looked over, seeing the brunette woman put a finger to her lips and wink at him as she stood beside 11.

~8~

A black car pulled up to the Tower as the women and LJ piled out, "The Doctor will be trying to send us a message," Kate spoke into a phone, "We're looking for a string of numerals from around 1550, approximately. Priority One. I'm going to need access to the Black Archive."

Evy stiffened, "Kate… _please_ tell me you're talking about a room dedicated to Sirius Black?"

Kate winced and looked over at her…as though just realizing that Evy, no not just Evy, but Clara, both women Time Ladies, was standing right there. She sighed, knowing she'd been caught out, "It's just a storage unit for some objects you and the Doctor pick up in your travels, any technology that could affect the future of the planet negatively and…"

"Bad!" LJ pouted at her from Evy's arms.

"He's right," Evy nodded, "Kate we _know_ all about the Black Archive, we KNOW what's down there. Are you completely mad trying to take us there?!"

"I'm sorry," Kate turned and led them into the Tower, the women rushing to keep up with her as she led them down and down and down, "But it's the only place that might be able to help us get back to the Doctor."

"Couldn't we have taken the TARDIS?" Clara shook her head, "It IS sitting right outside the National Gallery…"

Evy sighed, understanding why they had to go to the Archive instead, "If we use the TARDIS and set back then, we'll become a part of the sequence of events, we wouldn't be able to leave."

"Right," Clara nodded, she knew that. She actually KNEW that, it just…sometimes she had to be reminded, sometimes it took her a while to recall things. Her head was so full of stuff and not just Time Lord stuff but things from her other lives as well. J was helping her sort through them, catalogue and store them in their proper places so she could pick and choose what she wanted to remember and when, but it was taking a while.

"The Black Archive," Kate introduced as they stepped into the room, walking down a long hallway with lights dangling above, "Highest security rating on the planet. The entire staff have their memories wiped at the end of every shift," she nodded to a few circular devices on the walls and on the ceiling, "Automated memory filters in the ceiling. Access, please," she turned to an attendant, handing him a set of keys.

"Ma'am," he nodded, taking it and heading for the door.

"Atkins, isn't it?"

"Yes, ma'am. First day here."

Kate nodded and turned to the girls, "Been here ten years," she whispered to them.

"Kate, when this is over we're going to have to have a talk about this," Evy warned her, "I've _seen_ what repeated memory wipes can do to someone," she paused, thinking of that poor man in that orphanage River had been placed in.

"We monitor all neural health after every wipe," Kate promised, "The first sign of an issue the person is reassigned.

"Doesn't make me feel better."

"Lock and key though?" Clara looked at the man opening the door, "Bit basic, isn't it? Doesn't exactly make ME feel better either."

"Can't afford electronic security down here," Kate shrugged as they stepped through the door, "Apologies Evy, but we've got to keep you and the Doctor out."

"Why just them?" Clara shook her head, "You clearly know about the Cap'n and..." she glanced at LJ, "And...things," she supplied instead.

"Yes, but the Captain has agreed, upon request of Captain Jack Harkness, not to interfere with the collection. The Doctor on the other hand, really wouldn't approve."

Evy looked around as they stepped into the large, vault like area, "You've TARDIS proof this entire thing haven't you?"

"Yes."

"But you're letting us in _now_?" Clara shook her head, that didn't makes sense, why let them in now when the entire base was supposed to be a secret.

' _Exactly,_ ' Clara stiffened, hearing Evy's voice in her head, she was so used to hearing only J talk there that she often forgot Evy could technically project her thoughts as well, ' _Clara, I need you to be very calm and, whatever happens, do exactly as I say,_ ' she gave Evy a curious look behind Kate's back that clearly asked what was going on, ' _That's not Kate,_ ' she informed her, ' _The real Kate would NEVER take us here._ '

Clara nodded, stepping just a bit closer to Evy and LJ, the boy falling quiet as though sensing the same thing about the woman that his mother had and trying his hardest to glare at her.

"You have a top level security rating from your last visit," Kate remarked, thinking Clara was talking about how she was being given access.

"Sorry, my what?" Clara looked over at her, startled.

"Apologies," Kate gestured to a board that had pictures of all the Doctor's former companions, including Clara, standing there with Kate in the Archive.

' _When you were human,_ ' Evy told her silently so 'Kate' wouldn't hear, ' _They don't know that the technology in those wipes won't work on Time Lord brainwaves._ '

Clara nodded, thankful that she'd remember this next time. She could recall something about a Memory Worm from one of her past lives, she hadn't wanted to forget then, she didn't now, especially not when there was so much that she could have possibly forgotten if things went wrong with the wipe.

"We have to screen all his known associates," Kate continued, stepping further into the room, "We can't have information about the Time Lords and the TARDIS falling into the wrong hands. The consequences could be disastrous."

"And now I have to have a chat with your Uncle Jack, don't I LJ?" Evy asked the boy in her arms as they reached a small booth that had a glass window set in it, a Vortex Manipulator, old and worn, sitting inside.

"Is that…" Clara frowned at it, trying to place it.

"Time travel," Kate nodded

"Vodex madiplator!" LJ called, before huffing, frustrated with how little he could pronounce. He was still getting used to speaking English instead of Baby and longer words took a bit more effort.

"A Vortex Manipulator," Evy corrected, "Jack's right?" she glanced at Kate.

She nodded, "Bequeathed to the UNIT archive by Captain Jack Harkness on the occasion of his death. Well, one of them. No one knows we have this, not even our allies."

"Why not?" Clara frowned as they stepped into the booth.

"Think about it. Americans with the ability to rewrite history? You've seen their movies."

"Ok, so this is how we're going to rescue the Doctor and the Cap'n?"

Evy frowned, handing LJ back to Clara as she pulled out her sonic and flashed the Manipulator, "There's not enough power for a two-way trip," she muttered.

"In any event," Kate sighed, "We don't have the activation code."

"As though we'd let you have it," Evy scoffed, "Kate we _knew_ about the Archive, it's not some big secret, we know what's in here and we know what everything's capable of. Of _course_ we kept it from you. Humans aren't meant to have access to time travel technology just yet. This is just like when Rose let you tear the TARDIS apart."

"When was this?" Clara frowned, her eyes wide, she...recalled Rose, mentions of her from the Doctor and Evy here and there, she was apparently a past companion of the Doctor's before he'd started travelling with Evy.

"Parallel world," was all Evy said, waving it off, before turning to the Manipulator, sending Clara a warning look with her back to Kate, the young girl nodding and stepping over to her, pretending to show LJ the device, the boy reaching out to pick it up, either playing along or genuinely interested in it they weren't sure but it was working out well.

"Let's hope he changes his mind," Kate remarked.

' _Don't you have the code?_ ' Clara glanced at Evy just…trying to think as loud as she could hoping Evy might pick up, ' _Wouldn't you know it too?_ '

' _Oh I do,_ ' Evy nodded, projecting her thoughts, ' _But I need to be sure if it's Zygons impersonating Kate. I need to make sure it's them and not some other enemy we'll have to worry about,_ ' she looked over, reaching out to tickle LJ's stomach, ' _All a part of the backup plan,_ ' she winked at them, Clara starting to smile.

"Yes?" Kate picked up her phone the moment it rang, "Well, if you've found it, photograph it and send it to my phone!"

Clara looked past Kate's shoulder when she spotted the young sciency girl and the other man from the Gallery step into the room, "Should they be here?" she asked slowly, glancing at Evy, "Why have they followed us?"

Evy nodded, subtly telling her to get ready, that the only reason they'd follow was if they were Kate's own backup.

"Oh, they've probably just finished disposing of the humans a bit early," 'Kate' shrugged.

Evy turned to her, "Humans?"

"Dear me. I really do get into character, don't I?" she spit some yellow fluid at them, but Evy pushed them back, keeping Clara and LJ behind her.

"Ick!" LJ grimaced, making Clara smile despite the situation, it…really was amazing how much more secure she felt when any version of the Captain was with her.

Evy nodded as, right before their eyes, Kate transformed into a purple/pink creature with suckers on its head and arms, no neck, with yellow teeth, "Yup, Zygon," she sighed, moving her hands behind her back and holding up 2 fingers.

Clara looked down, before motioning for LJ to hold the Manipulator steady so she could put in the first sequence of the code, followed by a 3 and a 1.

"The Under Gallery is secured," the young girl in the scarf stated.

Evy moved her fingers to a 1 and a 6.

"Prepare to dispose of one three more enemies," the Zygon-who-had-been-Kate sneered, "We have acquired the device!"

"What this one?" Clara nodded at it as LJ held it up.

Evy just smirked, holding up 3 fingers, "Activation code," before she grabbed Clara's hand as the woman hit the button, the three of them disappearing in a snap of light.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we have the first part of Evy's 50th! ^-^ I hope you enjoyed it ;) I know that the scene of 10 and Elizabeth (before 11 appears) is missing, it's mostly because I wanted the surprise of Rose being there (surprise!) and also because I see it playing out the same but with Rose in the background :)
> 
> I can say there'll be...quite a lot happening in the next chapter which means, it's time for my little 'next time' teasers ;)
> 
> Next chapter...Jara fluff vs Thuna fluff, who shall be the victor?! The Doctors are in for the shock of their lives. A planet is saved, but something is lost }:)


	31. Past Meets Future: The Day of the Time Lords (Part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I originally posted this as a separate story on FF.net, but it gained a lot of confusion so I'm including it here as an actual chapter of A Trio of Time Lords. If anyone is reading this series on FF.Net, Past Meets Future is the title of the 50th Anniversary Story for this series :)

J stood by the windows of the jail cell, his hands wrapped around the bars, his face pressed against the side of one, "I'm bored," he muttered.

11 laughed at that, shaking his head as he continued to scratch his message, "Bored or missing Clara?" he called to his son.

"Both," J turned around to lean against the wall, his arms crossed as he looked at the three versions of his father, Rose standing beside his last self, which made him frown. He…really didn't like how that girl was so close to his dad. He knew it had to be early in her timeline, or at least early enough in his father's last self's timeline. And it bothered him more than he would admit to know that the man still had round about a year left with Rose before he lost her and found his mother.

11 looked over at J, smiling as he saw the boy watching Rose with a frown. He shook his head, he was of the impression that every lesson in life worth learning was one that had to be reached on your own. He knew that, eventually, with some nudging, probably with Clara's help, J would realize that everything that had to do with Rose…whatever it was, all of it had led them to where they were now. His feelings for Rose (he could vaguely remember having something of the sort for her centuries ago, nowhere near as powerfully as what he felt for Evy, but still there) were what led him to Evy in the first place.

If he hadn't developed the relationship he had with Evy when he did…J himself wouldn't exist. If they'd Linked earlier or later, J would just…fade out of existence. Whatever it was that he had felt for Rose, he had felt it in just the right amount and for just the right amount of time to lead to the boy's creation. And for that he would never regret having cared for Rose, because in doing so…he'd gained a Link and a son out of it. His relationship with Evy had grown in the reverse of what it usually was on Gallifrey. Often with a Linking, the other person was downloaded with the entire life of the other person in an instant. It took ages to sort through those memories, to determine what you felt for that person, before trying to form a relationship with them of some sort. For him and Evy though, he'd been able to get to know her first, to fall in love with her on his own, to decide what he felt for her before he got to see her entire life through her eyes.

While the Link wasn't an instant love, it was an instant connection, but he'd been given the rare opportunity to build a connection of his own to Evy, to forge one himself in a unique way, in a way that was only strengthened by the Link but was solid in its own foundation. It was why he was always so sure of her and him and their life together, because they'd been able to fall in love the way the humans did before their Gallifreyan origins got a hand in it all and just…made them stronger.

"In theory," the Warrior began, staring at the door once more, "I can trigger an isolated sonic shift among the molecules, and the door should disintegrate…"

"Like trying to make a…" Rose frowned, trying to recall the phrasing, "Resonation pattern in concrete?"

"No," J shook his head, "That's barmy."

Rose shot him a small, offended look. The boy was starting to irritate her. He treated her like she wasn't there half the time, and all the other times he spoke down to her. And she caught him sending her these little looks from time to time, whenever she tried to talk to HER Doctor about what was happening, he always seemed irritated or offended by the move. Which made no sense as SHE was the man's companion but then…

The boy had a sonic, it was possible that he WAS a future companion, maybe he was the new Doctor's companion and the women calling through the portal were merely his wife and sister? The Doctor might have settled down a bit in the future, for all she knew, the new him seemed quite different than HER Doctor. Maybe…maybe SHE had had a hand in it, maybe he'd settled down and gotten that place with carpets and doors and mortgages? Maybe he'd done it for her…

"We'd have to calculate the exact harmonic resonance of the entire structure down to a sub-atomic level," 10 shook his head, moving to lean on a column, "Even the sonic would take years."

"More like centuries," J scoffed.

"We might as well get started," the Warrior remarked, moving to sit on a small bench beside the door, "Help to pass the timey-wimey," he glanced at the three men before him, "Do you have to talk like children? What is it that makes you so ashamed of being a grown up?"

"Well, technically, I AM a child," J shrugged, even though he was more than 3 centuries old, his father WAS there in the room and he WAS the man's child.

"Well what about you two?" he looked at 10 and 11, both men eyeing him with a serious look, solemn, almost…grim, as they observed him, though 11's gaze kept drifting to J, "Oh, the way you both look at me," he shook his head, "What is that? I'm trying to think of a better word than dread."

"Fear?" J shrugged, "Terror, trepidation, anxiety, dismay, alarm, fright, horror…"

"Thank you for the vocabulary lesson," Rose cut in, sending J a chastising look, but the man just rolled his eyes at her, "I think he gets it."

"It must be really recent for you," 10 murmured as he eyed the Warrior.

"Recent?" the man frowned.

"The Time War," J looked back at him,.

"The last day," 11 specified, "The day you killed them all."

10 turned to look back at 11, "The day WE killed them all."

"Same thing," 11 shrugged before returning his attention to the stone he was carving.

"It's already happened for them," the hologram appeared before him, "Ancient History in a way. Everything final and carved in stone. Or at least that's what they _think_ it is. YOU can still change it."

"I don't talk about it," the Warrior realized.

"You're not talking about it," 10 eyed him a moment, "There's no one else here."

"Ask them," the hologram shrugged, "You might as well if you have the chance. What do you really want to know?"

The Warrior eyed the three men, not quite sure what to make of the third one, the youngest one, he…had called himself a child before and he got the feeling it was more than just him professing his immaturity as he'd seen the boy appeared very sophisticated and grown up for the most part, "Did you ever count?" he asked them quietly.

"Count what?" 11 continued to carve.

"How many children there were on Gallifrey that day."

Before he stopped completely, hesitating, not wanting to answer that, not even wanting to think on it, he knew he had counted once, but he had pushed the thought out of his mind the moment Evy had told him she was pregnant. He didn't want to hold his child and feel guilty for all the children that he hadn't been able to save, he hadn't wanted to look at his son and thank the stars that the boy was ok, knowing that so many others hadn't been. So he'd pushed it out of his head, he'd pushed it as FAR out of his mind as he possibly could.

"I have absolutely no idea," he stated.

"How old are you now?" the Warrior eyed him.

"Ah, I don't know. I lose track. Twelve hundred and something, I think, unless I'm lying."

"You're getting on then," J walked over to him, nudging him in the side, "So old you can't remember if you're lying about your age."

11 just shook his head and patted J on the cheek, knowing that the boy was all too aware of what he was thinking, of what he had thought about the children of Gallifrey and of his own birth. He was trying to joke, trying to cheer him up. That was his boy.

"Four hundred years older than me," the Warrior calculated, "And in all that time you've never even wondered how many there were? You never once counted?"

"Tell me, what would be the point?" 11 looked over at him.

But then 10 spoke, "2.47 billion."

"Oh my god," Rose breathed, more than a bit horrified at the number of children, because children meant parents, meant aunts and uncles and grandparents and older siblings and if that was just the population of children…she couldn't' imagine what it was like, what the casualties would be like for the rest of the planet.

"You _did_ count!" the Warrior almost seemed to cheer.

"You're HAPPY about that?" J shook his head, not understanding why the man seemed so tickled that one version of him had worked out the number.

"You forgot?" 10 stormed over to 11, "Four hundred years, is that all it takes?"

11 just returned his angry stare, "I moved on."

"Where?" he scoffed, "Where can you be now that you can forget something like that?"

11 actually started to smile at that, "Content and at peace with my life."

10 shook his head though, " _Nothing_ could ever make us feel that."

"Really?" J sounded amused now, "Try love."

11 nodded, "In love, and happy, THAT's what could make us feel that way."

10 stared at 11 a moment, not seeing the Warrior eyeing his future future self, wondering what sort of woman he could have possibly found that would make him able to…not forget entirely, not move on but…not be so burdened by what he was about to do. Neither of them saw Rose looking at 11 with a sad look in her eyes as she bowed her head, realizing something she…really didn't want to think about.

HER Doctor, he'd just expressly said that he didn't believe that anything at all could make him feel the way that 11 did. Meaning…he truly didn't feel as content or able to let go as 11 did. Which meant that right at that moment he didn't believe he'd ever experience anything that would heal him that much…not…not even HER. She had seen the first Doctor she'd travelled with, how bitter and cold and distant he'd been, she'd seen him get better, because of HER. SHE had healed him, made him into the man he was now. And now…to hear that very same man admitting that not even SHE could make him feel better about his past…it hurt.

It hurt so much.

Because, seeing 11, seeing how he just sort of…looked through her, like he just distantly remembered her as a companion at one point, it made her fear that…that it wasn't HER that he had fallen so deeply in love with that he was able to heal from the past. And by 10's own admission, he had essentially said that HE didn't think she was what would heal him like that woman (whoever she was) had apparently healed him in the future. SHE wasn't the one who would help him heal this time and…

She felt torn between being happy that he would heal, and angry, bitterly angry that SHE wasn't the reason he'd healed once more, that he'd become the man he was now. She hadn't had a hand in it at all and…she couldn't help but wonder who this apparent miracle woman was, that could heal the Doctor so deeply that even HER Doctor would accept her and love her. Whoever she was…she had to wonder if the woman realized what she was doing, what tasks would come with loving the Doctor, if she would even be up for the task. The Doctor had told her that there were no more Time Lords, they'd ALL died in the war, the men before her were obviously different stages of her Doctor in his life (though she wasn't sure who that young man was, the Captain? Perhaps he'd just started a new set of regenerations and renamed himself? She wasn't sure.). So if all the men before her were the Doctor at different points, then the woman that 11 was talking about…she had to be a woman who was just…human. Like her.

10 eyed 11 closely, seeing something in his eyes, a…sort of strength, something he hadn't seen in the mirror since he'd locked the planet away, "You…you're really serious."

"I am," 11 nodded, "And trust me mate, your life will change forever when you meet her."

Rose closed her eyes and looked away at that, when he met her…meaning he hadn't yet, meaning it wasn't…it really WASN'T her.

"And where do I meet her?" 10 asked, carefully, trying not to sound too curious, hoping it might be able to get some information out of his future self by doing so…though he felt like he might be failing that attempt, "When do I meet her?"

Rose's eyes snapped open as she partially glared at her Doctor, she was standing RIGHT there, the woman who had taken in the Vortex for him, who had saved him from plastic goop and stood up to Sycorax and faced down Daleks and…he was asking when he'd meet another woman?! And he sounded eager! He sounded thrilled by the prospect.

"Spoilers," 11 sent a wink at J for that, repeating River's much loved line, making his son laugh.

"No," 10 shook his head, "No, no, no. For once I would like to know where I'm going."

"No," 11 smiled, "You really wouldn't. The moment it happens, the surprise, everything that leads up to it…you want that to be as pure as it was for me. Trust me…I'm the Doctor," he laughed, 10 starting to smile at that and nod.

"I don't know who you are, either of you," the Warrior shook his head, watching as they came to some sort of conclusion or decision and he hadn't a clue what, "I haven't got the faintest idea."

"They're you," the hologram walked around the room, idly moving between the pillars and around the people standing there as they were none the wiser of her being where she was, "These two men…" she moved between 10 and 11, gesturing at them, "Are who you'll be if you destroy Gallifrey. The man who regrets nothing and the man who forgets nothing," she sighed, "But it's a farce," she told him, "They wish they could, they wish they could forget everything, and they regret it every day of their lives, they've just…gotten better a hiding it," she disappeared and reappeared beside the Warrior, sitting on the bench beside him, leaning back "The moment is coming. The Moment, me. And then you have to decide."

"No," the Warrior shook his head.

"No?" 10 looked over, not quite sure if the man was objecting to the idea of falling in love.

It was…something he had craved, from the moment the planet went to hell, he had prayed to ever deity he could think of that he would find someone who made him happy, that he'd be able to love someone again. He…hadn't ever really known love, there had been Riku, and Eta, his son and its mother but even he could admit it was more a relationship of convenience, the two of them believing they'd never meet their Links. He hadn't ever really…felt THAT way about someone, ever.

And yet here 11 was, claiming not only that he had, but that he STILL had it. He couldn't imagine why the Warrior would be opposed to the one silver lining in all that they'd done.

"Just…no," the Warrior shook his head.

11 chuckled under his breath and turned back to his carvings.

"Find something funny do you?" Rose glared at him, more upset by the fact that she wasn't this amazing person that would heal him so completely, than offended by his laugh.

"Put the thorns away Rose," J remarked to her.

"Sorry," 11 glanced at them, "It just occurred to me. This is what I'm like when I'm alone," his small smile started to fade.

J walked over and put a hand on his shoulder, "It's done," he reminded him, "200 years without her, _never_ gonna happen again, I can promise you that."

11 looked at his son, putting a hand on his, patting it, "Thanks boyo," he murmured, making J wink at him.

"You know what's funny," the hologram spoke, pulling the Warrior's attention over to her, frowning when he saw that she was holding a sonic of her own. Quite a bit like 10's, but with a light blue tip, just…fiddling with it in her hands, "Your sonics never ever seem to last do they? Always getting broken, but mine," she held it up, "Same one as always, exact same one, with some tweaks here and there. YOU though…" she looked at his to the two Doctors;, "Yours just changes its face too much, like you. Like the same gift, but in a different packaging."

"Four hundred years…" the Warrior murmured.

"I'm sorry?" 10 looked at him.

"At a software level, they're all the same device, aren't they?" he held up his sonic, "Same software, different case."

"Yeah…"

"So?" 11 shook his head.

"What about it?" even J eyed him for it, Rose just looked confused as to what they were going on about.

"So, it would take centuries for the screwdriver to calculate how to disintegrate the door," the Warrior began to smile, turning to flash the sonic along it, "Scanning the door," before flicking his sonic on, "Implanting the calculation as a permanent subroutine in the software architecture and, if you really are me, with your sandshoes and your dickie bow, and that screwdriver is still mine, that calculation is still going on…"

10 blinked and looked at his, holding it up to his ear as he listened to it, "Yeah, still going."

11 flicked his out, twisting it in his hands, "Calculation complete," he grinned.

"Told you so," the hologram winked, "Same gift, different wrapping."

"Well look at that," J laughed, "Four hundred years in four seconds. Not bad, may be a new record!"

"We may have had our differences," 11 agreed, "Which is frankly odd in the circumstances, but, I tell you what, boys. We are incredibly clever!"

"And yet you all missed the fact the door was unlocked," a voice spoke behind them.

They looked over to see Evy leaning against the doorframe, her arms crossed, an eyebrow raised in amusement. There were…quite a few reactions in that split second of seeing her there. Rose wondered who the hell this woman was, while J was about to ask where Clara was as he didn't see her, yet the Warrior frowned, wondering why the door wasn't unlocked…and 11 frowned, seeing that he couldn't seem to look at her necklace, which indicated that the Perception Filter she kept on it (she'd taken to doing that, to adding it to a piece of something they always wore as a backup) was activated…enough where he could sense her as a Time Lady but…enough where he knew his past selves wouldn't Link to her.

10 opened his mouth to ask her what was going on…when something rather small ran into the room, right for 11, "Daddy!" the small boy cheered, hugging his father's legs.

"Daddy?!" 10 and Rose gaped at him.

Only for LJ to look over at them, blinking when he saw the past version of his father, "Daddy!" he giggled, waddling over to 10 and hugging him tightly as well around the legs, not seeing a different man but just...his father.

"What?" 10 looked up at them.

11 chuckled and made his way over to Evy, winding his arm around her waist, "Our son, LJ."

"Our what?!" 10 stared at her, wide-eyed, "Our son what?!"

Evy laughed, "I actually sort of miss your triple whats," she remarked to 11, "Care to see if we can beat the record?"

11 shook his head, looking at her fondly, "I think that would mean breaking him too."

"Well, best get on that," she winked, "Hello," she stepped forward, out of his arms, "I'm Evelyn Daniels," she shook his hand, LJ still attached to his legs, "Call me Evy," she added, shaking the Warrior's hand as well.

"Our Link," 11 added.

"Our WHAT!?" 10 turned to him so quickly he nearly fell over, startling Rose with the volume of his shout, but making LJ just let go and waddle over to the Warrior, hugging his legs as well as the man stared down at him in open-mouthed awe, as though he were the most precious thing to him.

"Your Link," Evy winked.

"Speaking of Links…" J cut in, glancing at LJ to make sure he was occupied and wouldn't hear him, "Care to explain where MY Link is mum?"

"What?!" 10 started to open and close his mouth like a fish, just staring with eyes so wide they were sure his eyebrows had disappeared into his hairline.

J laughed, "Hello, I'm the Captain," he said, sounding remarkably like 10 normally sounded when he introduced himself, "Time Lord, their son," he nodded at 11 and Evy, "Well, same son actually, that's me…" he pointed at the toddler that had somehow managed to crawl onto the Warrior's lap and was currently poking the man's nose, "As a baby."

"You're…you're…my…" 10 started to stutter, "Grown…and…"

J nodded slowly, seeing him struggling to keep up and cope so he turned back to his parents, "Clara? Link? Where is she?"

"Right here!" Clara cheered as she stepped in, "Sorry, pebble in my shoe and…" she was cut off suddenly when J ran to her and scooped her up in his arms, wrapped around her waist, as he spun her around.

"And there she is!" he cheered, "The most beautiful woman in the world," he laughed, setting her down, glancing at his baby self who had just turned to look over, hearing a sort of shouting but not hearing what was said.

"Stop it," Clara blushed, lightly whacking him on the chest as he put his arm around her shoulders.

"Sorry Clar," he winked at her, "But I cannot tell a lie."

She scoffed at that, "All you DO is lie," she reminded him, poking him in the side, "You're the Doctor's son."

"True," he nodded, "Still, won't lie to _you_ ," he crossed his hearts.

"That's your…" 10 continued to sputter as he pointed between J and Clara, "And she's…"

"Alive yeah," J nodded, smiling, beaming really, "And back," he winked at her, "I missed you Clar."

"I was only gone 5 minutes," Clara rolled her eyes playfully.

"5 minutes, 451 years, 2 months, 4 days," he looked at his watch, "And 37 seconds."

Clara shook her head and just squeezed him around the middle, trust him to come up with the exact amount of time they'd been apart, ' _Of course I would,_ ' he whispered in her head, ' _I count ever single second till I'm with you again Clarana._ '

She smiled, snuggling just a little bit more into his hold.

"But that's…" 10 looked between J and Clara and then Evy, "That can't be…" he blinked, pointing at Evy, "That's not possible!"

"It's NOT possible," 11 agreed with a laugh, "And don't you see? That's the point! She's IMpossible. She's my impossible girl," he cheered, wrapping his arms around Evy's waist from behind, resting his chin on her head as she was a bit shorter than him.

"OUR impossible _girls_ , actually," J corrected lightly, more like a mumble under his breath when he saw his baby-self look over.

Rose glanced over at 10, she was completely lost about all this, about why he was so…shocked. She could understand a bit about the having a son, sure, she imagined anyone who didn't currently even have a girlfriend would be shocked to find they had a child. And…she could understand that Clara woman, if she was a Time Lady as it was being implied, then…he might be shocked she'd survived the war, the same could be said for that Evy person…but…the way he was LOOKING at her, like he just couldn't believe SHE was standing there, not just that a Time Lady was but that Evy herself was…well…she had no idea what a Link was.

"Doctor?" she asked 10, stepping to his side, ignoring the displeased look J was sending her, "Are you alright?" she put a hand on his arm.

"What?" he jerked, accidently pulling away from her as he turned to her, "Yes, yes…I'm fine, I'm alright. Course I'm alright."

"Are you sure?" Clara eyed him.

"Sure I'm sure," he grinned, "I'm the Doctor!"

…before he pitched backwards in a dead faint.

"Doctor!" Rose gasped, rushing to 10's side and kneeling down, trying to wake him.

Evy blinked and looked down at him, "Well, now I KNOW he's definitely you," she remarked to 11, laughing a bit as LJ started to giggle and clap at how silly his father was, "You did the same thing when I told you I was pregnant."

"So," Clara glanced around between 10 and the Warrior, who had stood up with LJ in his arms, "They're both you, then, yeah?" she eyed the Doctor.

"Yes," 11 nodded, "You've met them before. Don't you remember?"

"It's coming back to me, yeah," Clara nodded.

"Will one of you help!?" Rose cried, trying to wake the Doctor.

"Just give him a good old slap," Evy called, "Usually does the trick in any incarnation."

Rose frowned at that, at how well this woman seemed to know him, well…she'd NEVER knew his last self, the one she first travelled with, that had been HER Doctor. She looked at 10 and slapped him, the man jolting awake.

10 blinked and looked at Rose, "Thanks," he rubbed his cheek as he stood, Rose helping him, holding onto his arm even after he'd stood. He glanced over, seeing Clara and J, Evy and the Warrior holding the baby and blinked, "So…not a dream then?"

"Fraid not," J smiled, seeing 10 looking intently at his mother.

10 stepped away from Rose and over to Evy, "You're…you're my Link?"

"I am," she nodded.

10 looked her up and down, before looking into her eyes, "Then…why haven't I Linked to you?"

Evy lifted her necklace, "Perception Filter set to a standard level, you see me, you know me as a Time Lady, but you don't notice enough to Link."

"Can you take that off?" he whispered, a sort of soft pleading note to his voice.

She smiled sadly, "I can't, sorry. If you Link to me at any point besides when he did," she nodded at 11, "It changes everything."

"For the better though," he argued weakly.

"I'm sorry," was all Evy could say as she shook her head.

"What's…a Link?" Rose asked, crossing her arms, not liking being ignored. She felt…so out of place, being the only human there.

"It's…it's the person most compatible to us," 10 turned around, walking away from Evy and towards Rose, Rose trying not to see the disappointed look in his eyes, "Through every regeneration, the person who can match us and accept us instantly."

"Yeah," J nodded, "They don't go asking people to change back or accusing them of being Slitheen," he gave Rose a look, seeing her about to make some sort of statement that SHE was just like that, accepting and all.

Rose frowned at that, her lips pursing.

"You survived?" the Warrior asked quietly, looking at her in shock.

"I did," Evy nodded, "My parents got me off planet before the Moment was activated."

"But…how did they know…" the man frowned.

"My dad was the one who gave it to you," she told him.

The Warrior let out a breath, staring at Evy intently, realizing who this woman was. Not only was she the Patriarch of the Sol family's daughter, but…the Master's sister. Luna. And she was his Link?! He closed his eyes, all that time, all that time he'd been around the Master and around his family…he hadn't ever been around his sister much. And to think, he'd been so close to her for so long…and just…kept missing the opportunities. He swallowed hard, looking at her again, it explained so much though, why the Master had suddenly turned against him a little after he'd left the planet to travel the stars. If…if Luna…if EVY had been Linked to him then and the Master found out…well, he'd be rather angry too if his best friend blatantly ignored his sister when his sister was his best friend's Link. He couldn't imagine the hurt it must have caused her. And then…he realized, that had happened only a short while after he'd lost Riku…so…she had been Linked to him for…centuries and he hadn't even realized.

"I'm sorry," he whispered to her, "A partial Link…"

"Was hell," she agreed, before she smiled at 11, "But so worth it in the end."

11 smiled softly at her and leaned in, kissing her gently…only for Evy to pull away a moment later, "Hold on…" she frowned, giving 11 a look, "All of you," she gestured between him and his other selves, even J too, "In the same room, with your enormous egos and giant brains…and NONE of you thought, 'oh gee, what don't we TRY to open the door first?'" she sighed and shook her head, "Oh Doctor, you deserve this one…" and smacked him upside the head.

"Oi don't hit him!" Rose shouted, staring at Evy in horror as 11 winced, 10 frowning at the action.

But 11 just laughed, "Oh I missed that! Been about 450 years," he joked at her.

"What is _wrong_ with you?" Rose shook her head at him, "She just SMACKED you!"

"Yeah, and it's their thing," J rolled his eyes, "Mum does it when dad's being an idiot."

"Which is a lot of the time," Clara added.

"Oi!" 11 pouted.

"It's not that big a deal," J agreed, ignoring his father's pout as his mother gave him a peck for it, "Clara hits me too."

"What?" Clara looked at him, "When do I hit you?"

"You whack my chest all the time," he reminded her.

"But that's not a smack, that's a whack," she pointed out, "And it's more like a light tap," she lightly whacked his chest for emphasis.

"I know," he managed to catch her hand, "And I love it when you do that, our own little thing, because then," he glanced at LJ to see he was once more distracted but this time with the Warrior's ears, "Then I get to hold your hand," he murmured, looking back at Clara, staring her in the eyes, "I get to feel you, real and solid, beside me and," he moved her hand so the back of it was resting in the middle of his chest, "I can let you feel my hearts, how they beat for you, how they race for you…"

Clara let out a breath, "No idea where you got THAT from," she murmured, "Definitely not the Doctor."

"Oi!" 11 shouted when he saw J wink at her and smile, "I'll have you know I can be very…what that was."

Evy laughed, "It's true Clara, where do you think he," she nodded at J, "Learned it from?"

11 nodded and, to prove a point, turned to Evy and…without even having to say anything at all, showed them all just how much he loved his Link. Actions truly did speak louder than words as 11 gazed softly down at Evy, looking her in her eyes, his own falling half lidded as he smiled gently at her, the happiest of smiles, a natural smile, before he reached up a hand and touched her cheek, stroking it lightly with his thumb before he brushed a lock of her hair that had fallen out of her ponytail behind her ear, his knuckles stroking against her cheek after, his other hand holding her free hand as he stepped closer to her. His hand trailed from her cheek to her chin, lifting it up so he could lean in more, his lips brushing against hers as he murmured, "I love you," to her, in such a heartfelt, earnest, honest tone that quite a few of them had to look away, feeling like they were intruding in a special moment when 11 pressed his lips to hers, feeling her hearts racing as her chest pressed to his, winding his arms around her to hold her close, turning the kiss soulful, deep, passionate…

Rose swallowed hard and looked away, tears in her eyes as she saw it…the love that 11 held for Evy but…there was a niggling of doubt in her head as she thought of the woman, how she'd smacked the Doctor only moments ago, how she'd sounded a bit…condescending to him about the locked door, it just…if you loved someone, why treat them that way? She…she really hoped that Evy wasn't just…using how much the Doctor did love her to her advantage, taking advantage of him. She looked back when the kiss broke.

Evy smiling up at him, "I think displays like that would get us executed," she murmured to him, love shining in her eyes for him to see.

"It most certainly would," a voice said behind them and they looked over to see Elizabeth standing in the doorway, her arms crossed, "I see you have discovered the door was unlocked, she glanced at it, sparing Evy and Clara and the baby in the Warrior's arm only a second's thought before she shook her head, assuming it was a rescue party of some sort, "I am fascinated by the fact that you did not bother to try to escape. I understand you're rather fond of this world. It's time I think you saw what's going to happen to it."

And with that, she turned and walked off. The Time Lords looked at each other a moment before nodding to each other and head off after her, 11 taking LJ back from the Warrior despite the older man's reluctance to let the boy go.

~8~

In another part of the Tower's dungeons the small group came to a Zygon control center, various bits of advanced technology scattered throughout the room, with the Time Lord art set off to the side, "The Zygons lost their own world," Elizabeth explained as she led them in, looking down a the various Zygons wandering about, "It burnt in the first days of the Time War. A new home is required."

"So they want this one," Clara nodded.

"Always with Earth," J rolled his eyes, his arm lazily draped around Clara's shoulders.

"Still, means we'll always have a job," Evy looked at the bright side of it.

"Not yet," Elizabeth cut in, "This world is far too primitive. Zygons are used to a certain level of comfort."

"Commander!" a voice rasped and they looked over to see a Zygon step up, "Why are these creatures here?"

"Zygon!" LJ cheered, clapping in Evy's arms, "Pet?!" he pointed at it, and looked at his mother imploringly.

Evy shook her head and pointed accusingly at the Doctor, "What did I do?" he held up his hands.

"Your son," was all she could say, "Only YOUR son could decide he wants a Zygon for a pet!"

"I _do_ get better," J called, trying to help his father out, "I don't always ask for dangerous, sentient creatures," she gave him a look and he sighed, hanging his head, "Alright so I keep asking for dangerous ones."

Clara shook her head and patted him on the chest.

"Because I say they should be," Elizabeth rose to her full (rather short) height as she faced the Zygon that had spoken, "It is time you too were translated," she commanded, before grinning at the Time Lords, and Rose, "Observe this. I believe you will find it fascinating."

They looked over, watching as the Zygon put his hand on a small glass cube with dents in the corners of it…vanishing from before their eyes and appearing in the 3D landscape that Kate had shown them earlier, the missing figure.

"That's him!" Clara realized, "That's the Zygon in the picture now."

"It's not a picture," the Warrior murmured, speaking for the first time in a while, "It's a stasis cube. Time Lord…"

"Art," J cut in, "Frozen instants in time, bigger on the inside, but could be deployed as suspended animation, we know," he sighed, "Well, MOST of us," he cast a look at Rose."

"I got it," Rose shot back at him, though by her tone they all knew she hadn't a clue what they were talking about.

"It's like a photo," Clara glanced between J's blank expression when it came to Rose and Rose's small glare, able to tell there was something J didn't like about the woman, but wanting to be polite as she tried to help the human understand, it hadn't been so long ago that SHE had been human and would have been just as lost, "But in 3D and a painting and more…an actual moment in time, the buildings, the events, all going on, but in that single moment, frozen in a picture."

"Thanks," Rose muttered, looking back at the painting.

Evy sighed as she saw J's reaction to Rose, ' _He still doesn't like her then?_ ' she asked 11.

' _Not at all,_ ' he remarked.

They had told LJ stories about his family, about his uncles and aunts but…when they got to Rose he would pout or cry or crawl off and not want to listen. It seemed even his older self still had a bit of a grudge against her.

"The Zygons all pop inside the pictures," 10 realized, "Wait a few centuries till the planet's a bit more interesting, and then out they come."

"They're stored in the paintings in the Under Gallery," J nodded.

"Like cup-a-soups!" 11 cheered, "Except you add time, if you can picture that. Nobody could picture that. Forget I said cup-a-soups."

"And your time is when the world is worth conquering," Evy looked at Clara and Rose.

"So…" Rose began hesitantly, "The Zygons are invading the future from the past?"

"Exactly," 11 nodded.

"And do you know why I know that you're a fake?" 10 walked over to Elizabeth, "Because you're such a bad copy. It's not just the smell, or the unconvincing hair, or the atrocious teeth, or the eyes just a bit too close together, or the breath that could stun a horse. It's because my Elizabeth, the real Elizabeth, would never be stupid enough to reveal her own plan. Honestly, why would you do that?"

Rose frowned when she saw Clara roll her eyes and Evy face palm while J just grinned and watched excitedly, as Elizabeth turned to 10, "Because it's _not_ my plan. And I _am_ the real Elizabeth."

10 nodded, a bit started, "Ok," he nodded, clearly not having expected that, "Right…"

"Did you break the detector Doctor?" Rose frowned.

10 glanced at her before pulling out the small device he'd been using to track the Zygon, "But it DID go ding…" he muttered, he'd heard it.

"Oh dear Lord," Evy shook her head, before reaching out, "Give me that," she pulled it out of 10's hands, pulling her sonic out and muttering under her breath, "It's a Temporal Anomaly Detector, not a 'ding when there's stuff.'"

11 laughed, "She's very good at fixing things," he told them, "She um…she made my 'ding' detector," he winked at 10 who was watching Evy intently.

"There," she smiled, tossing him back the detector…which did NOT ding when he held it at Elizabeth, signaling she was human.

"Right," he nodded, caught out, "So, backtracking a moment just to lend context to my earlier remarks…"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, "My twin is dead in the forest. I am accustomed to taking precautions," she lifted the side of her skirt and pulled a dagger out of her garter, "These Zygon creatures never even considered that it was me who survived rather than their own commander. The arrogance that typifies their kind."

"Zygons?" Clara asked, amused.

"Men."

"We're not _all_ arrogant," 11 remarked.

"Says the man with the biggest head of them all," Evy remarked.

"Best!" LJ cheered, clapping for his father, "Best daddy!"

11 grinned, "Well, who am I to argue there?"

"And you actually killed one of them?" Rose eyed the Queen impressed.

"I may have the body of a weak and feeble woman," Elizabeth huffed, "But at the time, so did the Zygon. The future of my kingdom is imperilled. Doctor," she turned to 10, even though two of the other men looked at her as well, "Can I rely on your service?"

"Well, I'm going to need my TARDIS…" he began.

"It has been procured already."

"Ah," he smiled and nodded.

"But first, my love, you have a promise to keep."

~8~

"That was…genius," 10 remarked as the large group wandered across the courtyard before the castle, Rose more than a bit grumpy and trailing behind as 10 praised Evy for, what she had to admit, was a rather clever plan.

Elizabeth had been determined to wed 10, but…Evy and 11 and J (and 10 himself) hadn't been very excited about the idea. So with a bit of a backup plan coming together, Evy had devised a way to get out of it. Using the Silence. As she was the only one who could safely use pictures and holograms of them without forgetting what she was doing, she had snuck up on Elizabeth when she was preparing for the wedding, having talked to her about preparing backups of her own, as a wise Queen would, had managed to organize for the woman to move the paintings and set up the Under Gallery, and write the letter to the Doctor…before she created a hologram of the Silence and ordered the woman to forget she'd ever met him. With all the paintings locked away and all the failsafes in place, Elizabeth need never even know or remember they were there.

And now 10 was a free man and NOT the king of England. It also explained why Elizabeth hadn't recognized them when they'd met her with Jack. The Silence had done a fantastic job of it all.

"That's just Evy," 11 grinned, winding his arm around her waist as LJ rushed ahead, waddling up to 10's TARDIS, wanting to see inside. He'd only ever been able to see the archived console rooms and it wasn't the same as really seeing THE console room in action.

"You've let this place go a bit," the Warrior remarked as they stepped inside to see the coral theme, the Y-beams, and all.

"She's beautiful!" Rose made an offended noise as she strode past them.

"It's his grunge phase," 11 waved her off, "He grows out of it."

"Don't you listen to them," 10 patted the rotor.

Evy had to smile as they all made their way to the console, "I almost forgot how quiet she could be," she remarked to 11.

"What do you mean?" 10 frowned at her.

"My impossible Link," 11 grinned widely, "Devised a way for the TARDIS…to talk!"

The two Time Lords stared at her, Rose rolling her eyes at that, not understanding how…amazing that really was, "Really?" the Warrior looked at Evy, "You have?"

She nodded, "Bit of a tinkerer," she shrugged.

"Bit of a genius," J called from the other side of the console…when the alarms went off.

"What did you touch?!" Evy turned to 11 the same time Clara turned to J.

Both men held up their hands, "Nothing!"

10 winced as he was shocked, "Ow! The desktop is glitching."

"Rose could you watch him?" Evy called, nodding at LJ as she, Clara, and J moved to help the 3 Time Lords with the controls.

"Sure," Rose grumbled, "Why not," and picked up the boy even as he squirmed and pouted and crossed his arms, standing to the side so as not to get in the way, as she was sure J would comment on if she took a single step closer. All it did was make her feel even more left out that the 6 Time Lord were all working in sync, aware of what was wrong and fixing it while she just…stood there, lost. Perhaps she should ask the Doctor for some lessons on how to pilot the TARDIS, help with the controls.

"Six of us all from different time zones," the Warrior worked it out.

"It's trying to compensate yeah," J nodded.

"Hey, look!" 11 smiled as the walls went white with round holes in them, "The round things."

"I love the round things," 10 grinned.

"What are the round things?" Clara shook her head, never having seen them before.

"He hasn't the faintest," Evy muttered, "It's the friction contrafibulator."

"Ha!" 11 moved over beside her, pulling a lever, "There, stabilized!" he cheered as the desktop changed once more to HIS TARDIS.

"The most saturated timeline," Evy nodded, "Five of us here from one point, made the TARDIS THAT one."

10 looked around at the more mechanical and machine-like quality to the desktop, "Oh, you've redecorated," he commented as 11 looked up, excited for the praise of it, "I don't like it."

Before he pouted, "Oh. Oh yeah? Oh, you never do."

Evy shook her head and made her way around the console to his side, pecking his cheek, "Come on," she patted his arm, "We need to get to the Black Archive."

The three Time Lords stopped and stared at her.

Clara glanced at them and wandered over to Evy, "I take it they've heard of that, then?" she asked.

"Oh yes," Evy sighed.

"Sorry, but what's..." Rose frowned, walking over with LJ, about to hand him to J when the man stepped back.

"That's a paradox Rose," J warned her, a hard look on his face, "Or have you forgotten what happened the last time someone touched their baby self?"

Rose winced at that, looking away as Clara frowned, "Here," she reached out, taking LJ who eagerly went to her, before she moved past him to J's side, "What's wrong Cap'n?"

"Nothing," he sighed.

She lifted an eyebrow, "Care to try that again?"

He looked at her, smiling at how well she knew him, "I'll tell you later," he crossed his hearts, "I promise, but right now…the Black Archive is more important."

"Fine," she pointed at him warningly, "But if you don't say, you don't get any treats."

He winked at her, knowing she couldn't exactly say kisses with LJ right there.

"What's the Black Archive?" Rose asked, continuing what she'd been about to say before J had snapped at her.

"A collection of the most dangerous alien artifacts," Evy told her.

"And the Zygons now have access to it," 11 replied grim.

"Patching into the Space-Time Telegraph system," 10 called, working at the keyboard as they all snapped into action, Clara holding LJ in one arm as she moved to help, between the two of them able to work out what buttons needed to be pushed as Rose crossed her arms and stood back.

She watched Eyv especially as she got to work, frowning at how the woman slapped 11's hand when he went to push the wrong button, how she seemed to know the right ones to push. It just…made her feel worse, this woman was…a Time Lady, which she wasn't, she knew how to pilot the TARDIS, which she didn't, and she was brilliant, which she wasn't. She was…everything the Doctor could want and she knew that 11 loved her dearly. She just…was having trouble seeing how Evy felt the same with all her smacks and eye rolls and other things.

"There's a nuclear warhead twenty feet beneath us," they heard Kate's voice fill the room as the telegraph picked up, "Are you sitting comfortably?"

"You would destroy London?" another woman who sounded the exact same as her spoke.

"To save the world, yes, I would."

"You're bluffing."

"Never accuse Katie of bluffing," J muttered.

"You really think so?" Kate scoffed, "Somewhere in your memory is a man called Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge Stewart. I am his daughter."

"Science leads, Kate," 11 called out when a crackle of static sounded, letting them know they'd been able to connect completely, "Is that what you meant?"

"Is that what your father meant?" Evy added.

"Doctor?" Kate asked, "Evy?"

"And me!" J grinned, waving at the rotor for some reason, "Hello! And Clara. And dad…and dad…and baby-me."

"And me," Rose reminded him with a small glare.

J rolled his eyes, "Yes, and…and Rose Tyler too."

"Space-Time Telegraph, Kate," 11 continued, "A gift from me to your father, hotline straight to the TARDIS."

"I told you Kate," Evy cut in, "We _know_ about the Black Archive and we know all about the security protocol."

"Katie, please," J grew serious, "Please tell me you're not about to make a stupid mistake!"

"I'm sorry," Kate called, "Switch it off."

"Not as sorry as you will be," 10 cut in, "This is not a decision you will ever be able to live with."

"I said, switch it off."

"Kate, please," Clara tried as well, "Just listen to us…"

But the connection cut off. Evy sighed and rubbed her head, "The Tower of London is completely TARDIS proof."

"So…how do we get in there then?" Rose asked, "How do we land the TARDIS if we can't get in?"

"We don't need to land," the Warrior murmured, staring at one of the glass Zygon stasis cubes on the console.

"Yeah, we do," J remarked.

"A tiny bit," 10 agreed, "Try and keep up."

"I mean, I know the mind's going a bit in your old age gramps but…"

"No," the Warrior cut in, a bit more…laughing at J's remarks than offended now that he knew the boy was his future son, "We don't. We don't. There is another way," he held up the cube.

"The cup-a-soup!" Clara smiled, working it out.

"Brilliant!" Evy laughed.

The Warrior nodded, before having to ask, "What is cup-a-soup?"

"But we still have to get IN the archive," 10 reminded them.

"Leave it to him," Evy smiled, handing 11 the phone on the console.

He grinned, dialing UNIT, but another number from the datacore this time, "McGillop," the man from the Gallery, the one they'd heard answer his phone as they had left the Arcadia portrait.

"Take a look at your phone and confirm who you're talking to," he called.

"But that's not possible," the man remarked, "I was just…"

"You were just talking to us," 11 cut in, "We know. We're time travelers, figure it out. Listen, we need you to send the Gallifrey Falls painting to the Black Archive. Understood?"

"Understood, sir. But why would I take it there?"

"No time to explain," 11 shook his head, "Just do it," before he ended the call.

"Rude," Evy called from the other side of the console.

"Yes, yes, I know, I know," 11 remarked, "I'll send him a fruit basket later," he joked.

~8~

"Listen," Evy began as they set the TARDIS down in the portrait of the Fall of Arcadia, gathering everyone around by the doors, "This is…going to be dangerous."

"Why?" Rose shook her head, "It's just a painting, it's not like it's alive…"

"Did you hear nothing of when we explained what the paintings were?" J shook his head at her, more serious than he had been given that his Link was about to go out there too, "It's a moment in TIME frozen, meaning that out there," he nodded at the door, "Is a representation of the battle. It's real. It's happening."

"The moment we step out those doors we will be entering a battlefield," 11 agreed, glancing over at LJ as he stood in his small playpen, staring at them sadly. They…couldn't bring themselves to bring him out of the TARDIS with them to face the Zygons. Not into Arcadia, not into that devastation, no…they had to keep him in the TARDIS, where he'd be safe and protected from all that. They knew the TARDIS would protect him with her life.

"There will be Daleks," the Warrior added, "There will be Time Lords fighting, bombs, lasers, carnage, and destruction, everywhere," he warned.

"So…stay close, and stay together," 10 added, more to J and Clara and Rose, who had refused to stay in the TARDIS with LJ if her Doctor was going out there.

"I know," Clara swallowed, "I was there. I…" she glanced at the doors, "I died out there."

J took her hand squeezing it as the Warrior looked at her intently, his eyes widening only a fraction when he realized where he'd seen her before. There had been this constant niggling in the back of his head when he'd seen that girl rush into the cell, but he hadn't been able to put his finger on it. And now he knew…that girl, the girl he'd seen who had fallen when he'd tried to set up the Moment the first time…it was HER. It…looked almost exactly like her except in the battle gear of the Time Lords. But…how?! He shook his head, his mind was already so full of other troubling matters, he just…he couldn't add this to the list. All he could be grateful for was that the girl, who was apparently his son's Link, was alive somehow, that she was there and that she was safe.

"Right then," 10 looked at the doors, taking a breath.

"All of you, stay behind us," Evy gestured at her and the Doctors, pulling out her sonic.

They turned to the doors, hesitating only a moment, before rushing out of them, flinching back as they entered a warzone. Rose looked around and froze in place, horrified. Nothing they could have warned her of would have prepared her for that, it was…worse than she had ever imagined. It was dark, the sky choked with smoke, things burning and crumbling around her. She could see families fleeing, children being struck down by Daleks, Time Lords trying to fight back but falling and…it was too much, it was too overwhelming…

She looked over to see the others starting to run, and rushed after them, not wanting to be alone, knowing the TARDIS wouldn't open the doors again and risk LJ being harmed. She ran, when she tripped on a fallen piece of debris, letting out a cry of pain as she hit the ground.

11 looked back, the one in the rear as 10 and the Warrior were in the front, him and Evy trying to cover them, "Rose," he called, running go get her as a Dalek approached her, powering up. He yanked her to her feet and pushed her towards the others, clicking the sonic at the Dalek, well, more at the exposed power line beside it, sparking it and electrocuting the Dalek. He grinned, just about to turn when.

"DOCTOR!" Evy screamed and he saw it, a bolt of another Dalek laser flying right for him from the side…

Before he was shoved away by a body colliding with his own.

"EVY!" he shouted at the same time as J called out, "MUM!"

The two men ran for her, helping to gather her between them, 10 and the Warrior holding off the other Daleks as she cried out in agony, the laser already having done its damage. They moved her off as far as they could, to a small alley, just enough away from the firefight as they could to set her down with some cover.

"I'm…I'm sorry," Rose shook her head, knowing this was her fault, the girl had been struck because the Doctor had been helping HER, because SHE had fallen, because she had fallen behind and hadn't been left behind.

"Mum…you're…you're alright," J took his mother's hand, Clara crouching beside him, putting a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it as she wrapped an arm around his back, tears in her eyes as they both knew…no, she wasn't.

"Evy," 11 was at her other side, clutching her hand as she groaned and winced in pain, "Eves…"

10 and the Warrior stood solemnly above her, knowing what was coming, knowing what a Dalek blast could do…and she'd been hit nearly dead on.

Evy winced as she looked at 11, smiling a bit as she let go of J's hand to touch 11's face, "Haven't…haven't we been here before?" she tried to joke, tried to lighten the situation, but all it did was make him think of when she'd regenerated last, or nearly regenerated, how she'd been hit by a Dalek then too, trying to save him, doing exactly what she'd done this time as well.

He let out a shuddering breath, tears in his eyes, "Only no handy spare hand this time," he murmured, looking down as the hand on his face started to glow golden with regeneration energy.

"No, no, no, no, no, no," J shook his head, tears falling from his eyes. He didn't often cry though both his parents had made it clear that it was alright to do so, he just…he'd never been that sad before, he was always a happy child, and now, with Clara as his Link he hadn't been able to imagine how he could be that upset, but…this was it, " This isn't how it's supposed to be," he whispered, " This isn't what happens! This can't be how it happens dad," he looked at his father, pleading with him to make it better, to help his mother.

11 swallowed hard, "Did she…" he looked at J, "Did she not regenerate now with you?"

J was silent, "She did," he admitted, "But…I was so small and I didn't know what happened and…" he let out a bitter laugh, "I thought she'd tripped over a brick or something."

Because what toddler wanted to think that their mother had been shot by a Dalek and died a terribly painful death? None, so he'd made it up in his head what happened. His mother had left he TARDIS looking one way, and returned a different woman, and he'd thought she'd gotten bored and wanted a change or something else, ANYTHING else than her dying like this. He hadn't asked, not even when he'd grown up, he hadn't wanted to know, and now he was paying for it. If he'd known…he could have stopped this.

"I'm sorry…" Rose whispered again.

"Not your fault," Evy shook her head, closing her eyes with a groan, "Conditional clause with him," she rolled her head to look at 11 , "The bodies never last."

"They were supposed to," 11 murmured, "These two…" he squeezed her hand, "We were supposed to go forever with them, raise LJ…"

"We still can," Evy cut in, "Honestly dear," she managed to smile, "I'm only regenerating…not dying…"

And that was the last thing she could say before she screamed, the regeneration energy taking over.

Clara pulled J away, the man turning to shield her from the blast of energy, 10 and the Warrior doing the same with Rose, though both men watched in awe as 11 remained beside her, too close for anyone BUT a Link to be. Because they weren't just compatible in personality and taste, but in everything…

Evy sat up with a gasp, panting as she shivered, looking down at herself, "Ok…" she began slowly, looking herself over, her voice a bit more alto than before, she was paler, probably her palest yet, and a bit…taller she felt, her legs looked longer, especially because they were sticking out a bit from her pants, her clothes felt a bit tighter too, just a bit uncomfortably so. She reached up to touch her face, her chin was round, her face feeling a bit more round…

"That is…NOT fair," 10 breathed, trying to lighten the mood of the recent death.

"What's not?" Evy looked at him, only to squint, unable to really make him out, "Wonderful, I need glasses," she muttered and 11 quickly pulled out Amy's reading glasses held them out. She blinked at them, she'd need a different style, but for now it would do. She put them on and looked around, everything a bit clearer but still slightly blurry, wonderful, her eyesight was REALLY bad now, "Figures, all those jokes about you only using them to look clever and now I end up really needing them."

11 smiled at her, able to hear hints of her personality still in her, "Do you…" he gestured at her face, and his head, offering to let her see what she looked like.

"No," she shook her head, reaching out a hand for him to help her up, "We've more important things to worry about than what I look like."

"But you're…" 10 began, but he was cut off by someone else.

"Mum?" J whispered, looking at her. Regeneration was always tricky, you never knew what the person would be like, act like, if the would suffer any temporary post-regeneration amnesia or ticks.

Evy smiled, "My handsome boy," she walked over and hugged him tightly, knowing that he needed this hug more than the Doctor did right now.

"I'm sorry," he whispered in her ear, "I'm so sorry mummy…"

She pulled away, looking into his eyes, as she wiped a lingering tear away, "I'm fine," she told him, patting his cheek, "I'll be fine, I…" she let out a breath, the golden haze drifting off, "I think I just gave away our location," she realized, before she put her hands on his face, "This _wasn't_ your fault," she told him, making sure he believed it, waiting till he nodded before she headed over to the Doctor, hugging him too.

"So…that's regeneration then?" Clara murmured.

"Aren't you a Time Lady?" Rose glanced at her, till shaken, "Shouldn't you know?"

"I haven't regenerated yet," Clara shrugged, "I haven't seen anyone do it, not really, till now."

J was silent, watching his parents as his mother kissed his father, reassuring him she was still there, she was still her, before he glanced at Rose, his mother was right, it wasn't HIS fault she'd regenerated at all.

"We need to get out of here," Evy turned to them, taking charge, "If we can cause a Dalek to explode near the glass, it should let us out and...why are you staring at my hair?" she asked 10, seeing the man was entirely too focused on her hair than listening to her plan.

"Nothing," 10 looked at her, "I mean, no reason."

Evy blinked and looked at 11, "He's jealous," he remarked.

"Why?" she shook her head.

He smiled, "Because you're ginger."

~8~

Two Kate Stewarts stood, glaring at each other in the Black Archive, with two sets of assistants on either side of her…when there was an explosion and the sound of breaking glass off to the side. They looked over, seeing a mess of metal and orb things, crash through the glass of the painting 'No More' that had been moved to the back. They stared in horror at the Dalek that lie dead across the room…before they saw a group of people step out of the painting, four men, three women…only 2 of which were unrecognizable.

"Hello," the Warrior smiled.

"I'm the Doctor," 10 nodded.

"Sorry about the Dalek," 11 murmured, though his gaze was on a ginger woman in round spectacles and ill-fitting clothes beside him.

"And I'm Evy," she added.

"What?!" one of the Kates stared, making them all too aware which was the real Kate now.

"Bit of a run in with a Dalek," Evy nodded at the one smoking behind them, "The Doctor was…not very happy. Neither was my son."

The Zygons exchanged a look, seeing four rather angry men, glaring at them.

J crossed his arms, Clara moving to stand beside him, the two of them leaning towards each other, "It tried to attack my Link as well," he told the Zygons, eyeing them with a hard look, warning them away from harming Clara.

"Sorry," Clara smiled, "They're a bit showy-offy."

Rose just looked between them, looked at Evy, standing beside the Doctor, before she looked down. She…wasn't a Time Lady, she wasn't of any consequence to the Zygons, and…she could never do what Evy had done. The woman had pushed the Doctor out of the way of a Dalek, had died ,and STILL kept protecting him. She could see it now, why…why a Time Lady really was a better choice for a Time Lord. She'd just…she'd thought she was special, that she'd be with him forever, for her whole life. But, seeing Evy die and regenerate, like HER Doctor had, she realized…he would never be able to spend his whole life with her. If she died…that was it, he was alone, a Time Lady though…would never leave him. She closed her eyes feeling so horrible for the things she'd thought about Evy earlier. How could she have possibly wondered if the woman truly loved the Doctor (thinking no one loved him more than SHE did) when the woman had given up her life without a single thought or hesitation to save his life.

THAT was love, that was all she needed to see to know that Evy loved him, she'd die for him.

"Now, Kate," Evy began, completely calm, "Care to explain to us," she crossed her arms, and suddenly shouted, "What you think you are doing?!"

Kate stood straighter, holding her own, "The countdown can only be halted at my personal command. There's nothing you can do."

"Except make you both agree to halt it," 10 remarked.

"Not even all of you," Kate shook her head.

"You're about to murder millions of people!" the Warrior frowned at her.

"To save _billions_. How many times have you made that calculation?"

"Once," 11 said quietly, "Turned me into the man I am now."

"You tell yourself it's justified, but it's a lie," 10 added, firm, 11 not even contradicting him despite having come to terms with what he'd done, he could see why he'd done it, and he could come to terms with that, but it didn't mean it was right, "Because what I did that day was wrong. Just wrong."

"Do you see?" the Warrior heard the hologram speak, and looked over to see her standing there by one of the artifacts. He looked at the Doctors, at their son, at their Links, before turning back to her, only to see her gone and Rose standing there, watching the Time Lords.

"And because dad got it wrong," J cut in, "We're all going to make you get it right."

"How?" Kate eyed them, suspicious as the three men, 2 Doctors and J, pulled out chairs and sat down, J reaching out to pull Clara down into his lap while 11 looked at Evy cautiously, holding out a hand to her, not quite sure how the new her would feel about his usual actions of doing what J did. Evy smiled and, instead, moved behind him, placing her hands on his shoulders and squeezing them, dropping a kiss to the back of his head, making him smile, it was still a close, intimate, and supportive gesture as ever.

"Any second now, you're going to stop that countdown," 10 told her.

"Both of you," Clara added, "Together."

"Then you're going to negotiate the most perfect treaty of all time," 11 agreed.

"With the proper safeguards," Evy nodded, "All fair and equal for all."

"And the key to perfect negotiation?" 11 smirked.

"Not knowing what side you're on!" 10 cheered, before they leapt up.

"So, for the next few hours…" Clara began.

"Or until we decide to let you out…" J added, winking at her.

"No one in this room will be able to remember if they're human," 10 grinned.

"Or Zygon," Evy laughed.

"Whoops a daisy!" 11 smiled as he, Evy, J, 10, and the Warrior pulled out their sonics and flashed it at the memory filters in the ceilings, creating a large burst of light that had the humans (save Rose as there was only one of her) looking around at each other, confused, truly not knowing who was who…

Until they noticed the countdown had reached 7 seconds.

"Cancel the detonation!" the Kates shouted, saving the world with 5 seconds to spare.

"Hmm…" Evy hummed, seeing that, "5 seconds," she looked at 11, "You're losing your touch," she told him, "I was expecting a dramatic 2."

He laughed and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to kiss her, just…relieved that she was alive, she was still there, she was still with him.

~8~

"What's wrong Cap'n?" Clara asked as she saw him leaning against 11's TARDIS that had been brought in, his father and mother with his baby-self off to the side, his little self examining his mother intently, getting used to her new features as 10 and Rose stood by a board of images of all his past companions, 10 explaining who they were to Rose, how special each were to him, as he stood there, eyeing the Warrior sitting to the side in an arm chair, the Kates and Zygons negotiating off in the middle of the room.

"I'm fine," he murmured.

Clara leaned over and linked her arm with his, "It's later," she reminded him.

He sighed, "Rose…" he nodded at her, "She's the reason mum and dad didn't…Link when they found each other."

Clara frowned, not having known that story, "What did she do?"

"Nothing," he admitted, "Dad just…he cared about her, a lot, I think…I think he might have loved her and…mum could tell, she was in his head, and she didn't want him to rush into Linking with her, she hid who she was from him for nearly 2 years, and then, even when he found out who she was…they STILL didn't Link because he wasn't ready to let go of his precious Rose. They were apart for so long and…it was all because of her. They could have been happy."

Clara nodded, "It wasn't Rose's fault though Sigma," she told him gently.

"You're taking her side?" he frowned at her.

"I'm not taking anyone's side, I'm saying…the reason your parents didn't Link, was because EVY chose not to let them," she explained, "I understand why she did. Look…imagine if you got a job, I know, an actual job," she joked, "That took you somewhere you always wanted go, but to get there…you had to never see River again. Can you picture that?"

"Not really, but I'm trying," he murmured.

"You wouldn't just leave her, would you?" she continued, "You'd want to wean her off you or at least make it easier and give her time to adjust before you left right?" she knew it was a rubbish comparison but she knew that if she tried to explain it in terms of THEM, that he'd get defensive and he wouldn't be able to picture it the same, as they were already Linked.

"No, I wouldn't," he agreed.

"It's the same for Evy, and your dad. He wouldn't just give up Rose's memory and…tarnish it by jumping on the next wagon," she elaborated, "And Evy wouldn't want him to. She'd want him to have time to wean himself off Rose, to move towards her on his own. I…" she sighed, "Do you remember what I told you, when we first Linked, about what I'd do if your Link had been someone else?"

He looked at her, "You said you'd stay away."

"I would," she agreed, "I would stay away because I want what would make you the most happy. That was what Evy wanted. And that was what she knew he needed. He needed to move on in his own time. And…she was staying away to keep him happy. And look at them now Cap'n," she nodded at them, at the three Time Lords beaming and laughing and so close, with LJ on their lap, the two of them just…the best parents ever, "Do they look happy?"

"Ecstatic," he whispered.

"It's because of Rose they didn't Link earlier, yeah," she nodded, "But it's also because of her that they Linked when they did. It's because of her that they have what they have now, that they have YOU. So forgive me for not disliking the woman that allowed you to be born."

He let out a small laugh at that, looking down at her gently, "How do you always know how to get through to me?"

She smiled and shrugged, "Because I love you."

His hearts warmed at that, "I love you too," he whispered, kissing her deeply if quickly as they never knew when LJ might look over, "And…speaking of happiness," he glanced at the Warrior, the only one there who still looked so…grim, "I think dad needs a pep talk of his own."

Clara laughed, "Go on," she encouraged, leaning on the TARDIS, taking his place as he headed off to speak to his father.

"Hello dad," he sat down in a chair across from him, startling the Warrior who had been deep in thought.

"Oh, hello…son," the Warrior blinked, "That…does take some getting used to."

J laughed, "You'll have quite a few years to get there," he reassured him before looking at him intently, "You know…mum and dad, they…talk about the Time War, a lot, about the Moment, the Time Lock, all of that. But YOU don't," he responded.

"I suppose it's too fresh a wound," the man looked away.

"Or it hasn't been opened yet," J countered, "You haven't done it yet, have you? It's still your future."

"You sound very sure about that."

"You're my dad," he shrugged, "I can read you like a book, literally, I HAVE read your book," he leaned in, "Don't tell dad I read his diary," he winked.

"I'll be sure not to tell myself that," the man laughed.

"He regrets it," J added after a moment, "You WILL regret it. I can see it in their eyes, in mum and dad's expressions, every day. Every day there's always one thing that reminds them of what happened," he looked at the Warrior, "He'd do anything to change it."

"Would he?" the Warrior tilted his head, "Everything he has, and every thing he is…is because of the Moment," he looked over at 11 with his family, "He has come to terms with what he's done."

"Doesn't mean he likes it," J countered, "Doesn't mean he doesn't think it was wrong."

"And your mother?" the Warrior eyed him, "It was the Moment that drove her off of the planet. They would never meet if not for that," he sighed, "You admitted it yourself, Captain, you ARE still but a child, and I…" he looked past J to where the hologram was standing, watching him sadly, "I am the grown up. It is up to me to make the hard choices for the safety and future of my children," he nodded, "I've seen all I needed. The moment has come. I'm ready."

"Seems you are," the hologram sighed sadly.

J frowned, glancing over his shoulder to see what the man was staring at, "What is it?" and looked back…to see he was gone, "Well that was enigmatic."

~8~

The Warrior stood back in the barn on the desert world, staring at the Moment as it laid open and bare for him, a long pipe with a red gem on the top, "You DID say big red button," the hologram sighed as she stood across from him, "At least it's not blood control this time."

"What?" the Warrior looked at her.

"Nothing," she sighed, staring at it, "You touch that…that's it, one blast, and no more anything. Time Lords, Daleks, Gallifrey," she eyed him, "Are you sure?"

"I was sure when I came in here. There is no other way."

"You saw your future, what will be come of you if you do this."

"Those men," he nodded, "Extraordinary. Their son… exceptional. And their Links," he laughed, "Fantastic women."

"Those men…are YOU."

"No," he shook his head, "They are the Doctor."

"YOU are too."

"No," he swallowed, putting his hand over the button, "Great men are forged in fire. It is the privilege of lesser men to light the flame, whatever the cost…" but hesitated…thinking of J, thinking of LJ, of all the other children.

"You know that odd wheezing noise the TARDIS makes when you forget to take the brakes off?" she asked him quickly, "Do you have any idea how much hope that brings to people?"

"I like to think it does."

"Well, then you tell me...does it?" she smiled as the sound of the wheezing started.

The Warrior looked at her, surprised but she just winked at him as not one but, THREE TARDISes appeared behind him, two blue police telephone boxes and one red telephone booth, just to be different and just to poke a bit of fun at the other two blue boxes. He looked over his shoulder as 10 and Rose stepped out of one, 11 and Evy another with LJ still in the TARDIS, not having wanted the baby to witness this, and J and Clara from the red one.

"Told you so," J grinned as his parents, "There's a moment before the Moment, eh?" he looked at Clara for his joke, "No?" she shook her head, and he pouted, till she took his hand, "You owe me ten quid," he pointed at 10 though.

"Go away now, all of you," the Warrior turned back to the button, his hand still above it, "This is for me."

"Sorry gramps," J grinned, "Too old to be taking orders from my dad anymore."

"Oi!" 10 and 11 cried as Evy laughed.

"And what about me?" she asked him.

"Oh I do whatever you say mum," J winked, "You scare me," he whispered, making her shake her head.

"I thought you said the war was locked away," Rose murmured, seeming more…subdued than before.

"It should be," 10 agreed, "We shouldn't even be here."

"So something let us through," 11 nodded.

"Clever cogs," the hologram smirked as she sat on a crate.

"Go back," the Warrior spoke, his voice breaking as he stared at the button, "Go back to your lives, to your families. Go and be the Doctor that I could never be. Make it worthwhile."

"All those years, burying you in my memory," 10 sighed as he and 11 came around to stand on either side of him, J across from him.

Rose looked on sadly from where she stood beside the crate the hologram was sitting on, watching as Clara and Evy joined the men, Evy between 11 and the Warrior, Clara between 10 and J. They were…Time Lords. All of them, and this was THEIR battle. She'd gotten involved in it…and one of them had died because of it. This wasn't her fight, this wasn't something she could be a part of. What right did SHE have to destroy another planet? It wasn't her home on the line, it wasn't her people, her friends, her family…she would NEVER be able to understand what the Doctor was going through like Evy and Clara could.

"Pretending you didn't exist," 11 continued, "Keeping you a secret, from everyone…"

"But never from me," Evy leaned over and kissed his cheek, resting her forehead to his temple as he closed his eyes.

"Even tried to keep you from myself."

"Pretending you weren't the Doctor, when you were the Doctor more than anybody else," 10 looked at the man to see tears in the Warrior's eyes.

"You were the Doctor on the day it wasn't possible to get it right," 11 agreed.

"But this time…" 10 reached out to put his hand on the button too.

"You don't have to do it alone," 11 swallowed and did the same.

"Thank you," the Warrior breathed.

"What we do today is not out of fear or hatred," 10 had to say, had to justify it, "It is done because there is no other way."

11 nodded, "And it is done in the name of the many live we are failing to save."

"And in the name of the ones you'll save in doing this," J added his own hand.

"No," the Warrior shook his head at that.

"Captain," 10 began.

"Boyo…" 11 turned to him.

"Oi," J cut in, "You do this…I do it too," he looked each of them in the eye.

Clara blinked and looked at him…realizing what he was trying to do, he KNEW his fathers would NEVER make him do that, he was…he was trying to STOP them from doing this. But…why? She looked at Evy, confused, only to see the woman smiling proudly at her son, it seemed she didn't want this to happen anymore than J did.

"You're about to wipe out our people," J continued, not bothering to sugar coat it, knowing that would NEVER get through to his fathers, "And destroy our planet. You kept me in there as a baby," he nodded at the TARDIS, "Because you didn't want me to _see_ it?" he scoffed, "Well now…I'm gonna be a part of it, whether you like it or not," he eyed his fathers, "So what'll it be?"

"Captain…" the Warrior began, "Everything you are…is _because_ of what I did. Your mother…"

"Is standing right here," Evy cut in, not about to be talked over, "And I'm right there too…" she nodded, having seen the room grow dim as projection started to play, recognizing the location as they watched the Moment take them away.

"What's happening?" Clara frowned as she saw a temple in ruins.

"Where are we?" Rose stepped closer, not sure what was going on.

"The Untempered Schism…" J breathed, seeing it.

"If you're so worried about me," Evy continued, "I'm perfectly safe. It was the fact that you POSSESSED the Moment that sent my parents running, not that you _used_ it," she turned and they watched as the old man that had stolen the Moment from the Vaults ran with another woman, with ginger, but more of an orange shade, hair, holding the hand of…

Evy frowned, " _That_ …however…isn't right…"

The girl holding her mother's hand was _strawberry blonde_ , her hair the shortest it had ever been, and that…wasn't right. She'd been brunette, she remembered, she'd been ginger in the war and regenerated into a brunette when she'd been recalled. Granted she…she hadn't exactly had time to look at herself in the mirror, but…she'd landed on Earth, she'd been brunette she…she hadn't regenerated between then had she? No…no, she fell through the Untempered Schism, she'd woken up just fine, and gone about her life on Earth as Evy Daniels, the Evy who first travelled with the Doctor…

So why was that girl strawberry blonde!? Why did she have brown eyes? Her eyes had been green!

They watched as the trio fled, a Dalek striking the man in the back, the woman, the mother, running on, managing to get them up the steps of the temple, before the Untempered Schism. They saw the woman kiss the girl's head before Daleks started to attack, she moved before the girl, looking around at the Daleks surrounding them, before she turned and shoved the girl through the gap, sending her falling…right as she was shot at and died, the girl watching in horror as she fell…

The scene shifted, twisting and turning as though they were falling down a Vortex, before there was a crash and a flash of light as the woman landed in the green grass of earth, in the middle of a forest…they watched in horror, the girl's body was a wreck, clearly barely alive from the force of the hit, the girl herself unconscious…before the golden glow of regeneration set in…and her hair darkened to brown, the girl sitting up with a gasp, her eyes green, as she looked around, terrified…

The Warrior's eye widened as he looked at the woman in the projection and the one sitting on the crate, save for different clothes…it was the same woman. He turned to look at Evy, it was…the hologram…it was HER! It was her past…er future…um…one of her incarnations!

"Well then," Evy blinked, realizing that…apparently, she HAD regenerated and that was SO stupid of her to assume she hadn't. Who fell through the Untempered Schism, crashed into another planet, and just got up and walked away?! She'd been so foolish to think that was what had happened, it was just…she hadn't displayed any of the usual signs of post-regeneration, no regeneration breath, no off steering, no memory loss, nothing at all… she thought she'd just woken up and walked off.

"Evy…" 11 looked at her, horrified to find out that his Link…this wasn't her 12th self like they thought, her last self, the blonde, she'd been 11 too, she'd been the same…well, no, not the same as him, with the Warrior there he had clearly regenerated an extra time, he had been 12 all along. But so had she it seemed and now…to find out that the woman before him, the ginger woman…she wasn't Evy's 12th self, but her 13th!

Evy shook her head, "That wasn't the point," she murmured, knowing it hadn't been the point of the projection to show her that she was really a body ahead of where she thought she should be, but…to show them that she had survived, "That was, that was…what happened," she looked at the Doctors, "I'm safe, I'm already off the planet, nothing you do right now will change that. You…you CAN stop this, you can choose not to push it."

"Think of all the people you're going to burn," J whispered.

They looked up as the projection shifted again, back to Gallifrey, to all the people running around, the children.

"There isn't anything we can do," 10 shook his head.

"He's right," 11 looked at them, solemn, Clara moving to put her arm through J's seeing the man tearing up, "There isn't another way. There never was. Either I destroy my own people or let the universe burn."

"Look at you," Clara tried to help, she wasn't sure what was the best option, the time lock or something else they had no idea about, but…the look on J's face, this was…she realized…his home. This was the home he had never gotten to set foot on, it was the home he had always wanted back. SHE had memories of a life lived on it, his parents did too, but not him. And for that, for him, she could try to help them convince the Doctors to stop. Three against three was fair…but then again, two of them were women and they were easily worth two men, "The warrior, the hero, and the madman," she shook her head at them, "The Cap'n told me that the name you chose was a promise. What was _your_ promise?"

"Never cruel or cowardly," 10 whispered, watching as the battle lulled around them.

"Never give up, never give in," the Warrior swallowed, looking at the children.

"Never let the pain endure," 11 finished, seeing parents gathering their families close.

"Never," Evy added, resting her chin on 11's shoulder till he looked at her, " _Ever_ let the children cry," she whispered kissing him as he rested his forehead to hers.

"You're not actually suggesting that we change our own personal history?" 10 shook his head, looking at 11 as he let Evy pull his hand away from the button.

"When DON'T you change history?" J laughed, starting to smile.

"No, not just change history…" Evy smiled, "Something…much greater.

"What, exactly?" the Warrior eyed them, Rose stepping closer, not quite sure what had happened.

"Gentlemen," 11 grinned, "I believe our lovely Link has _changed my mind_."

She laughed, "I'm VERY good at backup plans," she told the men, "You can't tell me you didn't expect me to come up with hundreds when my father told me he'd given you the Moment, Doctor."

"That's what I was counting on," 11 tapped her nose as J soniced the Moment back into the box.

"There's still a billion billion Daleks up there, attacking!" the Warrior cried.

"Yeah, there is. There is."

"But there's something they haven't quite worked out just yet," Evy grinned.

"Because if they did, they'd probably send for reinforcements."

"Reinforcements?" J scoffed, "They'd run for the hills."

"What?" Rose asked, "What don't they know?"

Clara looked at J, him grinning as widely as his parents were, "There's _three_ of you," she told the two other Doctors.

The Warrior and 10 looked at each other a moment…before their eyes widened, "Oh!" the Warrior cried, "Oh, yes, that is good. That is brilliant!"

"Oh, oh, oh!" 10 cheered, "I'm getting that too! That is brilliant!" he turned and hugged Rose, spinning her around in his excitement.

"Ha, ha, ha!" 11 beamed and pulled Evy in, kissing her deeply, "I've been thinking about it for centuries and never…"

Evy just gave him a peck, "And I've had centuries of thinking up backups to your terrible plans."

"In the words of my baby-self," J ran over and hugged her, "Best mummy!"

Evy laughed and hugged him back before he turned and kissed Clara deeply, a bit happy his baby self was fuming silently…or screaming quite loudly…in the TARDIS.

"Oh she didn't just show me any old future, she showed me exactly the future I needed to see!" the Warrior laughed, smiling with tears in his eyes at the hologram as she nodded at him.

"Just shedding some light on the situation," she winked.

"Eh?" 10 looked at him confused, his arm around Rose's shoulders as the blonde girl beamed, "Who did?"

"Oh, my beautiful bird, I could kiss you!"

"Sounds like a plan!" 11 shouted, before kissing Evy again, not even realizing what the Warrior had said or even realizing that the man had been talking about Evy for some reason, but just…wanting to kiss her, feeling so…overwhelmed and happy that he couldn't contain it.

"Oh dad," J grimaced, "Not in front of the kids. I don't need…"

"Oh shut up Cap'n," Clara turned him around and pulled him to her by the lapels, kissing him as well as the Warrior laughed, 10 looking on softly as he watched them.

Rose's smile started to fade only a bit as she saw the look in 10's eyes at the moment, and knew that…he wanted that, he wanted his Link, he wanted to be that happy…and that was something SHE couldn't offer him. And, oddly enough, she found she wasn't bitter about that…because of all people…he deserved it. He deserved to be that deliriously happy.

"So what are we doing?" she called out, seeing the two couples getting rather wrapped up in themselves and knowing that time was still ticking, "What's the plan?"

"The Dalek fleets are surrounding Gallifrey, firing on it constantly," the Warrior began.

"The Sky Trench is holding, but what if the whole planet just disappeared?" 10 grinned.

"Ok…how?" Rose looked at them.

"The Daleks would be firing on each other," J smiled, "They'd destroy themselves in their own crossfire!"

"Gallifrey would be gone," Clara nodded, "The Daleks would be destroyed, and everyone else would just think that they'd destroyed each other!"

"But where would Gallifrey be?" Rose frowned.

"Frozen," Evy smiled, "Frozen in a single moment of time, just like a painting."

Rose let out a breath, "That is...brilliant, amazing," she looked at Evy, "YOU'RE brilliant," she offered, a look of understanding passing between them.

"You're not so bad yourself," Evy nodded back at her, both women smiling.

~8~

Androgar winced as another blast went off, shaking the War Room, "Another one!"

"Are you sure the message is from him?" the general looked over as a different hologram message from the Doctor took the place of 'No More.'

"Oh yes."

"Why would he do that?" the man shook his head at the new message, 'Gallifrey Stands,' "What's the mad fool talking about now?!"

They spun around when they heard static to see a holographic monitor appear before them in the air, "Hello, hello, Gallifrey High Command!" 11 grinned out at them, "This is the Doctor speaking."

"And Evy," Evy winked at them, stepping beside him, LJ in her arms as the boy clapped, "And LJ."

"Me!" the boy waved.

"Hello!" a second screen appeared, 10 and Rose visible, "Also the Doctor. Can you hear me?"

"Also the Doctor," the Warrior added, "Standing ready."

"Dear God," the general breathed, "Three of them. All my worst nightmares at once!"

"Oh it gets better," a fourth monitor popped revealing J and Clara, "Wait till you meet his son."

"Me!" LJ waved even more.

"Us," J agreed, "The Captain and Clara, at your service."

"General," Clara smiled, "We have a plan."

"We should point at this moment, it is a fairly terrible plan," 11 began, before wincing, as though expecting a smack on the back of the head…only for one not to come.

"I find your lack of faith in my plans disturbing," Evy remarked calmly, "Given how many of them have saved your life…" but 11 just stared at her, "What?"

"You're not…going to…smack my head for being rude?" he frowned.

She blinked, as though just realizing that she really hadn't smacked him for it, "Oh…" she shrugged, "I'd rather just kiss you."

11's eyes widened as he started to beam, jumping up straighter, "I am 100 percent ok with that!"

"Focus dad!" J called, "I'd like to save Gallifrey _before_ you try to make a new little sibling for me!"

11 started to blush and sputter as his other selves and Clara chuckled at him, "Oi!" he pointed at J.

"We're flying four TARDISes into your lower atmosphere," Evy cut in, getting them to point, taking charge.

"We're positioned at equidistant intervals around the globe," 10 added, before smiling at Rose, "Equidistant. So grown up."

"We're just about ready to do it," the Warrior nodded.

"Ready to do what?" the general asked.

"We're going to freeze Gallifrey," Clara told them.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Using our TARDISes," 10 nodded, "We're going to freeze Gallifrey in a single moment in time."

"You know, like those stasis cubes?" the Warrior added.

"A single moment in time," Evy explained, "Held in a parallel pocket universe."

"Except we're going to do it to a whole planet," 11 smiled.

"And all the people on it," J grinned.

"What?" the general shook his head, "Even if that were possible, which it isn't, why would you do such a thing?"

"Because the alternative is burning," the Warrior remarked quietly.

"And I've seen that," 10 agreed.

"And I _never_ want to see it again," 11 nodded.

"We'd be lost in another universe, frozen in a single moment," the general frowned, "We'd have nothing."

"Not nothing," Clara shook her head, "You'd have hope."

"And it doesn't seem like you have all that much of it at the moment," Rose commented.

"Who are you?" the general frowned at her.

"Oh, um, hello, Rose Tyler."

The general shook his head, "It's delusional. The calculations alone would take hundreds of years."

"Oh, hundreds and hundreds," 11 agreed.

"But don't worry," 10 smiled, "I started a _very_ long time ago."

"Calling the War Council of Gallifrey!" another monitor popped up with the Doctor's first incarnation on it, "This is the Doctor."

"You might say I've been doing this all my lives."

J let out a whistle as more and more monitors popped up of his father at various incarnations, all of them there, all of them ready, "Wow dad…you really had NO life before mum came along."

"Cap'n," Clara laughed, whacking him on the chest.

But he caught her hand, smiling as he looked down at her, "Like me," he whispered to her, "My life didn't start till I found YOU, Clara," making her smile.

"I didn't know when I was well off," the general shook his head, horrified, "All twelve of them!"

"No, sir," one more voice called as the last monitor popped up, the next Doctor joining them, "All thirteen!"

"Sir!" Androgar cried, "The Daleks know that something is happening. They're increasing their fire power."

The general swallowed, "Do it, Doctor. Just do it. Just do it."

11 nodded, "Ok, gentlemen…" he looked at Evy.

She smiled and nodded, twisting the final knob, "We're ready."

He grinned and flipped a lever, "Geronimo!"

"Allons-y!" 10 pulled one of his own.

"Oh, for God's sake," the Warrior grumbled, "Gallifrey stands!"

"You know," J remarked as he pulled a lever too, "I think I should get a catchphrase like that."

And that was the last thing that was said as a white field surrounded the planet…blasting out into the Universe as the planet disappeared…the Daleks continuing to fire, striking each other in the space left behind, destroying their entire fleet in one massive explosion…

~8~

It was quite possibly the most British setting ever that would follow, three Doctor's, one Doctor's son, their Links, and companion, all sitting in the National Gallery, the four TARDISes set up on the side…drinking tea.

"I don't suppose we'll know if we actually succeeded," the Warrior sighed from where he, his future selves, and his future son were standing before the painting of Gallifrey falls, the three girls behind them, sitting on a bench as LJ entertained himself by crawling under the benches and running through the four people's legs, careful to avoid his future self so as not to cause a paradox. "But at worst, we failed doing the right thing, as opposed to succeeding in doing the wrong."

"What is it actually called?" 10 stared at the painting.

"Well, there's some debate," 11 shrugged, "Either No More or Gallifrey Falls."

"Not very encouraging," the Warrior frowned.

"Cheer up gramps," J laughed at him, "Debate also means it's not set in stone," he winked.

"How did it get here?" 10 asked.

"No idea," 11 sighed.

"I love it when that happens," J grinned, "I love not knowing things."

10 laughed and patted him on the shoulder, seeing quite a bit of his personality in his son, "There's always something we don't know, isn't there?"

"One should certainly hope so," the Warrior smiled, before taking a breath, "Well, gentlemen, it has been an honor and a privilege," he shook their hands.

"Likewise," 10 nodded.

"Doctor," 11 saluted.

"Dad," J gave him a tight hug, getting the feeling the man would need it.

"And if I grow to be a man half deserving of you, Ms. Daniels," the Warrior turned to her, "I shall be lucky indeed."

"It's Evy," she stood, moving to hug him as well, kissing his cheek.

She had finally managed to change out of her clothes and get a good look at herself. She was ginger, as the Doctor had said, her hair very red, and long, slightly wavy as well. Her eyes were grey, and reminded her very much of what an oncoming storm might look like, oh the irony. She seemed to enjoy wearing it over one shoulder, just letting it hang free, however when she'd been trying to select an outfit, she'd gotten a bit frustrated with it and tied it back with a simple bit of ribbon for the moment. Her outfit, she rather liked it too, it reminded her a bit of some outfits she'd seen Sarah Jane wearing. She had on black pants, that seemed just a bit more casual than a suit, but with black boots, a long sleeved white shirt that buttoned up in the front and a black sort of vest over it. The vest was very fitted and she wore it closed but with the top button or two of her whit shirt undone. J had joked when he saw her that if she had a fedora she would look like a classic 'gangster' which had made her laugh as she didn't quite look THAT part.

He laughed, "Miss Oswald," he reached out to shake her hand, "Miss Tyler," and Rose's as well, before he looked at them all, all the ones that had given him hope, "I won't remember this, will I?"

"No," Evy shook her head.

"The time streams are out of sync," 11 agreed, "You can't retain it, no."

"So I won't remember that I tried to save Gallifrey rather than burn it," the man looked down a moment, "I'll have to live with that," he took a breath and managed a smile though, "But for now, for this moment, I am the Doctor again. Thank you," he turned to head to the TARDISes, "Which one is mine?"

"The red one," J joked, the only red TARDIS among the blue.

"Ha," the Warrior shook his head at him, heading into the most worn version of the blue TARDIS and taking off.

"He's going to regenerate, isn't he?" J looked at his fathers.

"Yeah," 10 nodded, glancing at his future self and his Link and sons, "I won't remember either, so please," he looked at 11 and Evy, "Tell me…where do we meet? When do we meet? When do we Link? When…"

"We can't say," Evy said, "If you retain anything of it, even a whisper…it could change everything and," she looked at the Doctor and J and LJ, "I wouldn't change it for the world."

10 sighed, "Yeah, suppose that's fair."

"But when you do," 11 added, smiling at Evy, "Just know that she's…it," he laughed, "She's the one who will be with us forever, from Gallifrey to Trenzalore and…" he winced, expecting a small smack for that, for letting that slip.

"What's Trenzalore?" Rose asked as she came to join them.

11 sighed, knowing that…THAT was probably one thing he WOULD want in the back of his mind, maybe to try and work out a way around it, "Where we're buried," he took Evy's hand, "The both of us. We…die in battle among millions."

"That's not how it's supposed to be," 10 shook his head as Rose gasped.

"That's how the story ends. Nothing we can do about it. Trenzalore is where we're going."

"The LONG way around though," Evy nudged him, moving closer to wind an arm around his waist.

"Well," 10 nodded at that, pleased he'd forget that bit of information, "Good to know my future is in safe hands," he smiled at Evy, winking at her, not trusting himself to hug her and not pull the Filter off her, "And…" he smiled at J, "Good to know that I do something right, and that you turn out ok."

J started nodding…

When 10 turned to Clara, "Keep him on the straight and narrow Clara."

"Will do," Clara winked at J.

"Come on Rose," he turned to head into his TARDIS, pushing the doors open for her to enter first, "Trenzalore," he tested the word, "We need a new destination, because I don't want to go."

"He never does," Evy remarked sadly.

"Not alone," the Doctor took her hand, smiling at her as he tucked it into his arm, the two of them looking at the painting.

"You two want a second alone with the painting?" J asked.

"If it's not too much trouble," Evy smiled.

"Nah," J grinned, "None at all."

"Come on LJ," Clara picked up the boy, "Want to see what your future TARDIS looks like?"

"Yes!" LJ started squirming, as though he wanted to be put down just so he could run to the doors of the red box and get inside, but Clara held firm, knowing in his excitement he might end up trying to push buttons and things and this way she could keep hold of him till the Time Lord were ready to go.

"I'm…I'm sorry Clar," J murmured as they headed for the red box.

"For what?" she shook her had.

He sighed, "It was your birthday and we didn't do any of the things we promised and…"

"Cap'n," she cut in, "We may have just saved _Gallifrey, on my birthday," she grinned, "Best present ever."_

He grinned at that, pushing open the door to his TARDIS to let them in, the sounds of LJ's excited squeals fading as the doors shut, "Oh!" J stuck his head out, a secretive smile on his face, "There was a man looking for you both before, the curator I think," he winked before he ducked back in, shutting the doors for good this time.

The Doctor and Evy stood before the painting, his arm around her waist as they just looked at it, "I could be a curator," he murmured, "I'd be great at curating. I'd be the Great Curator. I could retire and do that. I could retire and be the curator of this place."

Evy smiled, "You'd be the best one ever."

"You know," a deep voice said behind them, a familiar voice that made them stiffen, "I really think you might."

They looked back to see a man who looked very much like the Doctor's 4th self standing there, older, with a small walking stick. Evy smiled realizing what had happened, the time differential had been cut out again, much like when the 5th Doctor had met his last self. It made the 5th Doctor appear older than he really was.

"I never forget a face," the Doctor smiled.

"I know you don't."

"Especially not with me here to help keep them straight," Evy laughed, leaning into the Doctor's embrace.

"I know that too," the man laughed, "And in years to come, you might find yourself revisiting a few. But just the old favorites, eh? You were curious about this painting, I think," he looked at it as he joined them beside it, "I acquired it in remarkable circumstances. What do you make of the title?"

"Which title?" the Doctor asked, "There's two. No More or Gallifrey Falls."

"Oh, you see, that's where everybody's wrong. It's all one title. Gallifrey Falls No More. Now, what would you thing that means, eh?"

Evy shook her head, smiling, "That Gallifrey never fell, that it might still be out there somewhere."

"I'm only a humble curator. I'm sure I wouldn't know."

"Then where is it?" the Doctor frowned, knowing a bait when he saw one.

"Where is it indeed? Lost. Shush. Perhaps. Things do get lost, you know. And now you must excuse me. Oh, you have a lot to do."

"Do we?" the Doctor started to fidget, excited.

"Mmm."

"Is that what we're supposed to do now? Go looking for Gallifrey?"

"Oh, it's entirely up to you. Your choice, eh? I can only tell you what I would do if I were you. Oh, if I were you. Oh, perhaps I was you, of course. Or perhaps you are me," he chuckled confusing himself quite a bit and settled for shaking their hands, "Congratulations."

"Thank you," Evy whispered, moving to hug him as well, "So much."

"Thank YOU," the man smiled, touching his cheek as she kissed it, "You…brighten up his life," he winked, "My life. Our life? Oh well, perhaps it doesn't matter either way. Who knows, eh? Who knows?" he tapped the side of his nose and headed off with a happy hum.

The Doctor and Evy grinned at each other, before they dashed off for J's TARDIS, needing to get LJ back and then get a new set of clothes for Evy and then…and then! They would find Gallifrey once more.

~8~

_"Clara sometimes asks us if we dream. Of course we dream, I tell her. Everybody dreams, Evy would add. But what do you dream about, she'll ask. The same thing everybody dreams about, I tell her. We dream about where we're going, Evy answers. She always laughs at that. But you're not going anywhere, you're just wandering about. Oh, that always makes us laugh, because, it's not exactly true. Not anymore. We have a new destination. Our journey is the same as yours, the same as anyone's. It's taken me so many years, so many lifetimes, to find the people I needed to share this journey with, but at last I know where we're going. Where we've always been going. Home. Just as Evy said, the long way round."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really hoping you didn't see this regeneration for Evy coming }:D
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this revision of the 50th, with J and Clara and Rose there too :) I couldn't quite get J to agree to talk to Rose after his revelation, I feel like, even not blaming her he still just doesn't really care for her and knows he won't likely see her again after this. So he sort of lets go of his resentment, but doesn't actually resolve it with her :)
> 
> As for Evy and the new her, I imagine her to look something like Famke Janssen (Jean Grey) :)


	32. The Time of the Time Lords (Part 1)

" _Once, there was a planet much like any other...and unimportant. This planet sent the universe a message. A bell tolling among the stars, ringing out to all the dark corners of creation. And EVERYBODY came to see. Although no one understood the message, everyone who heard it found themselves afraid. Except two men and the women they loved. The ones who stayed for Christmas._ "

~8~

A dark ship drifted in space, one of many that were lingering above a bright blue planet out in the far recesses of space. There appeared to be no one onboard the ship either, until a bright flash of light struck one of the corridors and a man in a brown cloak appeared, a hood covering his face, a scepter that wasn't actually a scepter in his hands.

"I bring proof of courage and comradeship!" the man shouted, waving what was really a Dalek eyestalk in the air, before he threw his hood back, revealing the Doctor standing there, "What is this ship and why are you here? Identify yourselves by species and planet of origin."

He tensed, hearing a soft whir from beside him, like a weapon powering up, and turned to see a rather familiar round blue light looking at him through the darkness. He jumped back when a bolt of a laser flew past him, cries of, "Exterminate! Exterminate!" filling the room as Daleks began to roll out of the shadows.

The Doctor spared a glance at the eyestalk in his hand before pressing a finger to his ear, "Handles?!"

"Guess again," a woman's voice replied back.

"Exterminate! Exterminate!"

He winced, but not from the lasers firing at him, no…at the tone of the woman's voice, "You know you're being rather rude," she continued, clearly able to hear the cries of 'Exterminate!' but not at all seeming fazed by the danger he was in.

"Agh!" he ducked to the side, avoiding a blast, "Teleport me back please!"

"Exterminate!"

But the woman sighed, "I hope you learn a lesson from this Theta."

"Lesson?" he gaped, "What lesson?!"

"Exterminate!"

He winced back, "EVY!" he shouted as a bolt headed right for him…only to be teleported out just before it hit him, stumbling as he landed on his bum in the TARDIS console room.

"That it's rude to run out when someone's trying to talk to you," Evy remarked, leaning against the side of the console, her arms crossed, as she gave him more of an amused smile than the 'Eyebrow of Doom' that her last self had been famous for.

He would have thought she were cross with him, had it not been for the smile he could see sparkling away in her grey eyes, magnified by the thin, wire framed glasses she now wore. She'd tried to use Amy's old reading glasses…but they kept slipping down her nose so she'd gotten a new pair. Not quite his old black glasses or his fifth self's half-moon ones (he'd tried so hard to get her to wear those, claiming they suited her because of her true name, Luna, but she'd refused). No, her new glasses were more a goldenish color, and oval, perched on her nose and close to her eyes.

To be honest, he felt he was still probably in a bit of shock about her regeneration. He was still getting used to it really. He flinched once or twice when he knew her last self would have slapped him for something stupid, but…it was more than made up for when Evy would just laugh fondly at him and tug him to her by his lapels and kiss him for it. She found his 'idiocy' sweet now, adorable if he had to say so. And so, if he happened to act a bit more foolish this time around, say or do something that was a bit more stupid than he normally would have…it didn't bother him if others thought him barking mad or even an idiot…because Evy would kiss him. He rather liked that. He was sure he'd miss the smacks, he already did miss them quite a bit to be honest, he really had been telling the truth when he'd found her again after 200 years, that he missed them. It was probably a terrible thing to like and probably said quite a bit about his already fragile mental state that he enjoyed being smacked in the back of the head by her, but he'd rather be smacked than to not be and to fear that she wasn't there anymore.

He did rather enjoy her new method though, but that wasn't the point of his musings, the point really should be him focused on what she was saying. He could see she was a bit disappointed he'd run off so suddenly, he could feel it and see it in her mind that she felt he should have stayed but that she understood it was just his nature, he WAS one of the ones who ran from the Untempered Schism. He could see LJ in his small playpen off to the side, standing there and peering at him over the top, his head tilted in a manner Evy's 10th…well, he supposed it was really her 11th self what with the revelation that she'd missed a regeneration in between the war and Earth…but still, he'd thought of her 10th self as her 10th self for so long he felt better calling her 'real 8th self' 7.5 instead, that way her 10th self was still her 10th self, if just in his mind.

And…he was getting off track again, because it wasn't just LJ there watching him…it was…

"I was trying to ask you something important," J, the Captain, his son's future self stated as he stood above him, his arms crossed and HIS eyebrow imitating his mother's infamous 'Eyebrow of Doom' (well at least it stayed in the family.

They'd gone to investigate an odd 3-note noise that had been broadcast out into the Universe, traced back to just that planet below. They'd been there only a short while, trying to work out why so many different ships, most of which were enemies of theirs, weren't attacking…when the teleport kicked in and suddenly J was standing there before them.

Apparently he knew that they were heading there…well, he was just as bad (probably worse) than River in that, he always seemed to know…and had popped in. He said he wasn't there to stay though, that he just needed help with one small thing and then he'd pop off. He actually seemed rather frantic and worried which concerned them as there were only two reasons he'd be like that…River or Clara. Given that he'd winced when they'd called him J and told them to call him the Captain, they knew it had to be Clara this time.

The Doctor had to smile a bit at the phrasing J had used, the last time someone said something like that to him it had been Evy telling him she was pregnant with the very man standing before him and…

His eyes shot open as he bolted to his feet, rushing to J and grabbing the boy by his shoulders, "Don't tell me you and Clara are…are…expecting…a…you…you know…tiny…"

"NO!" J's eyes widened, looking so shocked and completely startled that Evy had to laugh at that, "No, no, no. No, no. No. No, no, no, no, no, no, no," he shook his head, "No…we're…we're SO not…we haven't…we…just no."

"Oh," the Doctor nodded, letting go of his son's shoulders and patting them, brushing off invisible dirt from them, "Good," he playfully punched J's shoulder, "Because I am FAR too young to be a grandfather…again."

It was odd to think that, to feel that, well, not so much really. Susan, as lovely as she had been, wasn't his real actual granddaughter. J was, at the moment (though he couldn't say about the future) his only son. He…Eta, his first boy had died in childbirth with its mother Riku, that had been as close as he'd ever come to being a father. And Susan, she'd been lovely, his first ever companion, a two hearted, alien species that was mildly telepathic but nowhere near a Time Lady. Oh he'd taught her as much as he felt comfortable about time and space and TARDISes, took her on adventure and…she'd been so young at the time, so very young that he had come to see her as a granddaughter and her a grandfather.

So it was true, he really had never been an actual biological grandfather before…and he was FAR too young. Well, he knew he was rather old, but in the context of the fact that his actual son (not the future version) was barely 2…well…that really would be FAR too soon to have a grandson.

"Dad, you're over 1200 years old," J reminded him.

"And your mum's not even 1000 yet," the Doctor reminded him, "Let's hold off giving her gray hair like that for a while more, ok?"

Evy laughed at that, "Very funny Doctor."

She knew it was a small reference to the fact that she seemed to be…a bit older than her last incarnation had been. She'd felt and looked so awkward when she'd regenerated, still wearing her last self's clothing and it being more than a little short on her, that she hadn't really noticed. It wasn't till she'd gotten changed, freshened up, and looked at herself in the mirror, in her new outfit, that she noticed she really did appear older, about 48 years old she'd have to say, in Earth terms at least.

She was taller than her last self, with long red hair that was slightly wavy and she'd found she preferred wearing it over her one shoulder. But she also found that she got rather irritated with the length of it when she was in the middle of something that required her focus, like fixing the TARDIS or working on something. At that point she'd pull it back into a loose pony tail with a bit of black ribbon she'd found in the wardrobe, the very ribbon she wore as a sort of bracelet around her wrist at the moment. She'd gone for more of an almost professional look as opposed to her western wear of her last self, or her sleeveless dresses and colored leggings, or her casual jeans and jumper. She seemed to favor black pants that were only slightly more casual than that of a pantsuit, with black boots underneath (because anything other than that would be rather counterproductive with all the running the Doctor got them into). She also took to wearing a long white shirt, sometimes a button up, sometimes just a long sleeved shirt, that had a black sort of fitted vest over it. Overall she got the impression that her current incarnation seemed a bit more…mature than her last one had, even when her last one had been more mature than the Doctor's.

"Right then," the Doctor nodded, "It's not a mauve type emergency boyo," he remarked to J, heading to the console, past a Cyberman head that they'd attached to it via a pole, "It's just picking out a Christmas present."

"For CLARA," J stressed, "It's picking one out for her, it's picking out my first one for her, it's…it's got to be perfect dad and I've got no idea what to get her!"

The Doctor chuckled at that, glancing across the console to Evy as she smiled back at him, their boy was…very determined to see this be a good Christmas for Clara, and they knew why. The last one he'd seen with her (both version of him now that they thought about it) had been with Clara-Oswin…and she'd died. They could still remember how LJ had taken his first steps just so he could get himself beside her as they picked the girl up to hold her hand and comfort her. It seemed that moment had stuck with J as well, he was…well, rightly so…terrified for Clara this Christmas. He had half-begged Clara to let him spend it with her but she'd refused, saying that her father, aunt, and Gran were coming over and that she sort of just wanted to spend the day with them. She…was still reeling from finding out she was now a Time Lady and just wanted to try and keep the holidays her family was around for as human as possible. It didn't mean that she didn't want to see J, she did, she'd invited him to her flat to exchange gifts, but not till that night when her family had left.

She still…had to really break it to her father, the news about her new biology, and about him. Well, not so much about him, he knew she talked about him, as much as he talked about her. Her father was WELL aware that she had a boyfriend now. They just…hadn't met. Which was fine, he wanted Clara to do it when she was comfortable. She had said that, perhaps next Christmas would be one that he could spend with her. Well, the next ACTUAL Christmas, he'd taken her to a rather lovely Christmasy village on another planet once for an early holiday. He'd found out she wasn't a fan of Christmas and had sought to change her mind. It had been…a wonderful evening, just…magical…and Clara had admitted she liked the holiday more, but it was more the company than anything, that she doubted she'd feel that way when her family got involved again.

"You can't tell me you don't fret about what to get mum," J pointed out.

The Doctor had to sigh, conceding that, "I suppose…"

"I mean, what do you get the girl who means everything to you when you want to give her everything?" J sighed, running a hand through his hair, making it stick up, "How do you pick just ONE thing? And which thing? And what if she doesn't like it? And…"

"Sigma," Evy cut in, walking over to him and putting her hands on his arms, rubbing them to comfort him, "Clara loves you, which means she will love anything you get her. Trust me," she smiled, "Your father once got me a comb for Christmas. A comb…"

"From Neptune!" the Doctor called, moving around the console and back to them, "It's ornate and shaped like a trident and it contains leave in conditioner. I thought all girls like that sort of thing. And I thought you loved it!"

"I do," she told him, "You see," she turned back to J, "It came from your father, and it was a gift from him. I love it because I love him."

J just blinked and looked at his father, "A comb?" even HE wasn't that desperate as to give Clara just a comb for Christmas…

The Doctor rolled his eyes at that, when LJ called out, "Snow flake!"

J looked over at his younger self, before heading over to him, squatting down, "What was that buddy?"

"Snowflake!" LJ repeated, "Clara!"

J blinked, his eyes widening, "Oh my god, you, little guy, are a genius," he winked at his baby self. He should have remembered that moment, he really should have, standing there as a baby and looking at him and his parents speaking to the side. He hadn't been able to hear much of the conversation from the playpen, but he'd heard enough about gifts and got the impression that he and his parents were trying to work out something to get Clara.

He really should have remembered that he'd seen himself standing there after he'd said that, snowflake, but…he hadn't actually SEEN what his older self had done at that point, just…been called a genius and that was it. He'd never seen what came of it as a baby so he hadn't thought of it.

But that was brilliant! Oh HE was brilliant, both of him, just him? He wasn't sure which person to give credit to as they were the same person so he just went with HE was brilliant! Clara was…his snowflake, his own personal snowflake. Out of millions of billions of snowflakes, no two were alike. And…it was the same among her echo-selves as well, they were all her in a way, but none of them were the same and HIS Clara was the most unique of all, the one he loved most. Now he just had to work out what sort of snowflake to get her…

"Thanks Mini-Me," he grinned down at himself, "Thanks mum," he nodded at her as well, "And…not really many thanks to you dad," he joked.

"Oi!" the Doctor frowned.

"YOU ran off to a Dalek ship as I was mid-sentence," J reminded him, walking back to the console.

"I didn't run off to a Dalek ship…I was teleported to a ship…which reminds me," he turned and thumped the top of the Cyberman head with the eyestalk, "Handles I said, 'Put me on a ship.' I didn't say, 'Put me on a Dalek ship.' Every ship I go on they just shoot at me. So don't put me on a Dalek ship when I'm holding a broken bit of Dalek!" he smacked the Cyberman again, "Ow!"

Evy laughed and walked over, "I'll just take that," she took the eyestalk from him, "Lest you decide to start hitting the console with it…again."

The TARDIS hummed loudly and they were quite sure, had the Cyberhead not been hooked through the circuits of the console that she would have spoken of her irritation at that. Unfortunately they'd needed a bit more power to keep the Cyberhead alive and had to siphon some of it off from the console, mostly the part that included the chip that let the TARDIS speak.

"You did not indicate a preference," the Cyberhead, one the Doctor had dubbed 'Handles' because of the top portion of it looking like a handlebar, spoke.

"Use your head!" the Doctor rolled his eyes, "It's not like you've got a lot of alternatives."

"What I want to know is why they're all here," Evy remarked, looking at the monitor where all the ships had gathered, glancing up as the Doctor and J joined her, "Daleks, Sontarans, Terileptils, Slitheen…" she shook her head, "Just…sitting there, not even firing at each other, the last time that happened…" she trailed off but they all knew she was thinking of the Pandorica.

"Mummy!" LJ called, "Up!" he lifted his arms and Evy smiled, moving over to pick him up, so thankful that LJ had adapted quickly to her new appearance and wasn't scared of her, she knew he wanted to see the ships. He had…progressed quite a bit in terms of speech, only really using English unless he was either very upset or very excited about something, in which case he slipped into Baby, but they knew it was only a matter of time before he soon grew out of that.

It saddened them a bit, to think on that, because it meant that their little boy was growing up, that soon he'd be a child, then a teenager, a young adult, an adult and…heading off to Luna University to be with River. His life with them would go by in the blink of an eye if they weren't careful.

"What about you boyo?" the Doctor turned to J, "Any idea what's going on?"

J sighed, "I really don't know dad," he admitted, unwilling to say more for fear of jeopardizing the timelines. And it wasn't that he was trying to stop anything or start anything it was…he genuinely had no idea what was coming, it was almost worse than knowing what would be coming like he often did due to his baby self being there. At least THEN he knew the outcome and why things had to happen, because he could look back on his entire life and work out why things needed to happen when they did.

It was why he hadn't said anything about Amy and Rory and the Weeping Angel no matter how much it had killed him to keep quiet, how much it had hurt River to lose them, how much it had hurt his parents to lose them…he knew that they'd needed to bow out that way, in order for his father to reach the place he needed to be to end up in Victorian London and meet Clara-Oswin. If they hadn't met her, then nothing that followed after would have happened. He didn't know, as a baby, when it was happening why his older self wasn't stopping it…but he knew as an adult why it had to happen.

This though…not knowing was scary, he knew the results, but he didn't know the events leading up to it or what happened during it and…one wrong word could completely change all that for the worse.

"The message was received throughout the universe," Handles reported.

"Yes, we worked that out, thanks," Evy shook her head at it, LJ on her hip as she took him to the monitor, she flicked a switch and a 3-note beat filled the room, "At least it's not 4-notes," she remarked sadly, her mind drifting to her brother, while she loved him and while he'd redeemed himself in the end…she was never sure which version of him she'd encounter, her BROTHER or the madman he'd become.

"Tardy!" LJ cheered, looking up at the rotor.

"She's tried boyo," the Doctor laughed, ruffling LJ's hair as the boy pouted and tried to flatten it back, "But even she couldn't translate it," he glanced at the monitor, "Why is everyone here if they don't understand it?"

"And yet here YOU are," J grinned at them, leaning against the console as he smiled at his parents and his younger self.

"Well you know I'm OCD…"

"And that I can't leave this one to his own devices," Evy added, before blinking, "Either of you actually," she remarked, shifting LJ in her arms more.

"Yes," the Doctor pointed at her, before turning to the monitor, "So what's their excu…hey!" he blinked, JUST realizing what Evy had said, "Oi!" he pouted, and she laughed leaning in to give him a peck for it. He grinned widely at that, at least she didn't stop doing that too. He didn't think his hearts could take no smacks AND no pecks, but this time it was even a bit better. Because when this Evy kissed him, she seemed to like touching his face as well, touching his cheek and stroking it with her thumb…it sent shivers down his spine, he loved it!

Evy sighed happily as she pulled away, resting her forehead to his a moment, before patting his chest and pulling away to look at the monitor and the beeping, "What IS the message though? What does it mean?"

They looked over when they heard the phone ring, but looked at the doors instead of the console.

"Still haven't patched the telephone back through the console?" J smirked.

"Oi!" the Doctor pointed at him, "Shut up," J laughed at that, before the Doctor turned to Handles, "Remind me I've got to patch the telephone back through the console unit. This is getting ridiculous."

"Attention!" Handles called as the Doctor headed for the doors, Evy tapping a few commands into the console to try and translate or at least trace the signal more, "Information available."

"Ok," the Doctor clapped and turned back to the head, pausing in his trek to the doors.

"You must patch the telephone device back through the console unit."

He blinked, "No, no. No, no, no, no. No not now! Remind me later."

"When?"

"I don't know just later just pick a time."

"When?"

"I don't know just any old time. When you think I've forgotten."

"When?"

J laughed at that, his father had constantly been trying to go to the doors, only for the head to keep calling out to him, stopping him, "I've got it dad," he patted the Doctor on the arm, heading for the doors, "You just try to…get ahead…with the Cyberman."

"Ha ha," the Doctor rolled his eyes at the pun, "Funny."

"I thought so," J winked and headed on.

Evy just shook her head and looked at LJ, "And that, LJ, is the sort of sense of humor you'll develop. Blame your father for that one."

The Doctor rolled his eyes at that and turned back to Handles, "Just pick a random number, express that number as a quantity of minutes, and, when that time has elapsed, remind me to patch the telephone back through the console unit."

"Affirmative," Handles stated.

The Doctor ran a hand down his face and made his way back to Evy, "How those Cyber-evenings must fly," he muttered to her.

"I'd imagine with massive 'deletes,'" she mimicked the robotic voice for that, making them both laugh.

"Hello!" they heard J answer as he pulled the phone from the TARDIS's instruction panel, stepping back inside the box with it, "You've reached the TARDIS…"

"Cap'n?!" Clara gasped on the others side.

J stopped dead, "Clara?" he his hearts froze at her frantic call, "What is it?"

"Emergency," she said, "I tried calling your TARDIS but you didn't answer and…"

"Yeah, I was, um, visiting mum and dad," he winced, rubbing the back of his neck, "What's wrong?"

"You're my boyfriend," she stated.

He blinked, "Yeah…got that already. Love that title, much better than 'The Captain.' Brilliant really…"

"No, no, I mean, yes, you ARE my boyfriend, but now…now I need you to be my boyfriend."

"Ok, little bit lost…" he looked at his parents for help, but they could only shrug, watching him, amused, as he spoke with his own Link.

Clara let out a little breath, "Christmas dinner...me cooking."

"Yeah, I know," he nodded, getting more and more lost as she went on. It was something he knew she did, much like how his mother's last self didn't breathe when she was angry and could just rattle off a whole long diatribe of a rant in one breath, when Clara got flustered or overwhelmed, she started to lose her train of thought easier, not make complete sense…he would have thought he'd be an expert in deciphering that though, broken thoughts, with his father being who he was, but it was always different for each person, wasn't it? "You told me not to come round…"

"Yeah, I know," she copied his words, "But…I may have...accidentally told my aunt Linda that I had a boyfriend."

"Yeah I did that once with a Tandonian princess," he moved to the console, absently fiddling with it, "Well, not that I had a boyfriend, but that I had a girlfriend, and well, you know, nearly got beheaded for that one…" he smiled, his voice growing soft and quiet so that LJ wouldn't hear him say, "It's a good thing I love you so much."

He could practically hear the smile in her words when she replied softly, "I love you too…" before his words caught up with her, "Wait, hold on, what Tandonian Princess? When was this?"

"Christmas dinner Clar?" he cut in, hoping to throw her off. It had been an adventure while she'd been teaching. He'd gotten a distress call and hadn't been able to wait, it was MAUVE! So he'd rushed off and helped stop an alien invasion, rescued the princess, and may have been such a dashing hero that she sort of possibly fell in love with him and wanted to marry him. But when he'd told he had a girlfriend (though he had really said a love of his own) the woman had been irate and felt he'd 'led her on' and seduced her and was vying for the throne and an enemy of the kingdom, etcetera, and ordered his beheading. He'd only just managed to escape.

"We're talking about that later, Cap'n," Clara warned, not put off her stride, "But yeah, I may have told my Aunt Linda about you and she didn't believe you were real and I argued with her and then I may have accidently said that you'd be coming to Christmas dinner."

"We'll just, um, leave you to this," the Doctor called as he pulled a lever setting the TARDIS down, "Shouldn't be a mo," he added before he, Evy, and LJ headed for the doors, the Doctor scooping up Handles on the way as J waved them, off turning to talk to Clara, getting the feeling he'd be leaving quite soon after his conversation with her.

"I just need you to come for Christmas dinner," Clara was saying, "Just do that for me. Just come to Christmas dinner and be my Christmas date?"

J laughed, "Clar, you don't even have to ask," he reassured her, "I'll be there…"

The Doctor closed the doors behind them, "He's your son," Evy remarked to him, "Charming as ever."

The Doctor grinned at that, especially when he saw LJ reaching for him, wanting HIM to hold him instead. He laughed and traded Evy his son for Handles, the two of them walking down the hall…but LJ wiggled in his arms till he put the boy down, LJ wanting to walk on his own. He was getting a bit steadier on his feet, more walking and less waddling, but he firmly held the Doctor's hand as they went, making him beam at that, that…even when he was being more independent, LJ still wanted his daddy with him.

"He's your son as well," the Doctor whispered to Evy as well, "Can't seem to get enough of me," he winked at her.

"Very, very true," she winked back at him, making him laugh as they reached a door at the end of the hall.

Evy pulled out her sonic from her pocket this time, having foregone her holster, and flashed it at the doors, opening them as they stepped in.

"Ok," the Doctor began, "Don't be alarmed, we come in..."

"Wonderful," Evy sighed, seeing that there were Cybermen stationed in little niches in the wall before them, Cybers that had been in stasis but were now waking up…and they were standing there with a Cyberhead in hand.

"Alert!" the Cybers began to cry, "Alert!"

"...peace!"

"Run!" Evy grabbed his hand, turning to run back with him as the Cybers fired at them, the Doctor scooping LJ in to his arms and running even as the boy clapped and laughed at the danger behind them.

"I really feel for Clara," Evy muttered as they ran for the TARDIS, "He's got your sense of adventure."

And clearly, it was even worse than the Doctor's if LJ was actually excited and happy while being fired at. She had more than enough trouble keeping the Doctor out of trouble and alive…she could only imagine how Clara would fare with J…hopefully River had tempered it a bit. She hoped that, with J being his first incarnation and being over 300 years old it was a sign that LJ would be just fine growing up. Though she got the feeling that she'd probably end up going stark raving mad or entirely gray-haired by the end if she had to deal with a child-LJ or a teenage-LJ who was all about not listening to rules and rushing off into danger.

But still…she was looking forward to it.

"Intruders detected!" they could hear the Cybers shouting, "The intruders will be upgraded!"

They dashed into the TARDIS, slamming the doors shut behind them, to see J turning to them, and pressing the phone to his shoulder, "Oh, there you are," he grinned, "Think you could give me a lift?"

~8~

Clara stood stiffly before her family, well, as much of her family as could make it, really it was just her father, her aunt Linda, and her Gran, and…that was pretty much it. She wasn't part of a very big family which was all the better, holidays were tense enough as it was.

"Happy Christmas!" a TV advert called, the only thing that had really been said in the last few minutes really.

"How's the turkey doing?" her aunt sighed, seeming quite bored, which Clara thought was to be expected as they should have been done and ready to eat by now…but she had greatly misjudged the turkey time.

She herself was getting antsy but it had little to do with the turkey, or even with the company, it was just…standing there, not doing anything, and…waiting. She'd always been a rather patient person, one had to be when dealing with children for a majority of the time, but she'd found that, since becoming a Time Lady, that she was having a rather difficult time adjusting to that. She HAD to be doing something, talking, teaching, cleaning, anything, to just sit there and do nothing…she got bored, easily, she got impatient and antsy and just…SO bored! It was one thing to do nothing with J, because them doing nothing meant cuddling and she truly loved that, it was like…she only felt calm doing nothing when it was doing nothing with him. He calmed her, he gave her peace, and she loved him for that. She was starting to think that, because it had been mostly the Doctor's Time Tunnel that she'd gotten a bit of his personality too or something, she knew how irritated he got when time passed slowly and in the right order and she was finding it tedious too.

She really wished J was there, and she glanced at her watch, as she had been doing every 30 seconds it seemed since she'd hung up with him.

"Great," she nodded, distractedly looking at her watch once more, "Yeah, yeah it's doing great. Well dead, and decapitated, but that's Christmas when you're a turkey," she laughed a bit at the joke…but her family just stared at her and she mentally gave herself an Evy smack for it. That sounded like something the Doctor would say, or J, perhaps she was spending too much time with her wayward Link, she was starting to sound like him…

Nah, she wasn't spending enough time with him if she had had to be honest.

"Actually," her Gran remarked, cutting through her thoughts, "Maybe I will have a little more."

Clara smiled and poured the old woman a bit more champagne, "There you go Gran."

"Did you put it in early enough?" her father looked at her, a bit worried that that was what was taking so long.

"Dad I put it in when you phoned me."

"I emailed you some instructions."

"Oh you certainly did," she murmured, falling silent when she heard a faint wheezing noise outside. She set the champagne down and moved to the window, looking out to see the TARDIS…but the BLUE TARDIS…appear in the courtyard. Well, he DID say he was visiting his parents, she thought before she turned and grabbed a small red paper hat that her father had won out of a cracker yet refused to wear off the table as she dashed out of the flat and down the stairs, heading for the courtyard, careful to keep a hand on her head so her own green hat didn't fall off.

"Cap'n!" she cheered as she ran into the TARDIS, "I so need you..." but she stopped short and blinked, before spinning around with her hands over her eyes at the sight before her…the Doctor, standing in the nude…which might actually be the best thing that could have happened because she was so relieved J was there that she likely would have run right to him, standing at the console, and thrown herself into his arms, kissing him soundly…right in front of LJ…which would have been not good.

"Clara!" the Doctor greeted, throwing his arms into the air as Evy shook her head from behind him, wearing her typical clothes, LJ in her arms in his usual little pants and jumper, though he was wearing a Christmas themed one this time. Clearly the boy had managed to tame his potty mouth as he wasn't dressed up as Father Christmas this time, but still was pouting and had his arms crossed at being dressed up…

But when the little boy saw her, he too threw his arms up with a cheer of, "Clara!"

"Oh my god," Clara shook her head, "Doctor…why are you NAKED!?" she quickly squashed the voice in her head that asked her why it couldn't have been J who was without clothing, starting to blush a deep red at the thought, praying desperately that it hadn't filtered over to…

' _Because I'm not going to church,_ ' J's voice called in her head, knowing that J couldn't come over to her and hug her like she could feel he wanted to with his younger self standing there.

' _What does church have to do with this?_ ' she asked, her blush deepening to know he'd caught that.

"Because Evy, LJ, and I are going to church," the Doctor repeated.

Evy moved over to the console and pulled a lever, putting in a command or two and there was a faint zapping noise as the Doctor looked down to see himself in his purple attire once more, "It's safe to look now Clara," she called.

Clara hesitated a moment, before lowering her hands and glancing over her shoulder, letting out a breath of relief when she saw the Doctor fully clothed once more. Before Clara could even comment, LJ wiggled in Evy's arms till she set him down and half-ran across the room towards her, "Clara!" he cheered, hugging her legs.

"Looks like someone missed you," J remarked with a meaningful look in his eyes as Clara pried the small boy off her legs to pick him up and give him a proper hug, holding him on her hip.

Clara looked right in to J's eyes as she said, "I missed him too," she winked, before turning to LJ, tapping his nose, "Very, very much."

"Yay!" LJ grinned, clapping as she walked up to the console, pausing when she spotted the instructions Evy had put into the ship.

"Hologram clothes?" she frowned, looking at the Doctor, "So…you're still naked then?"

"Unfortunately, the three of us are," Evy sighed, "Our clothes were projected directly onto your visual cortex," she moved to the Doctor's side as he wound an arm around her waist, "Like he said, we were about to go to church when someone needed a lift," she shot a small smile at J.

"Not my fault I couldn't wait to make it back to my own TARDIS," J shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck.

Evy shook her head, that had nothing to do with it. It seemed her son most certainly had inherited her ability to make backup plans. His thoughts were that, if they dropped him off, then Clara would be forced to let him stay with her through the whole of Christmas dinner as he wouldn't be able to make it back to his own TARDIS till they came back from church to give him a lift. Well, her son was certainly clever, but then again, so was she and the Doctor.

Clara shook her head, but smiled, "Well, do you think you can put off church for a few minutes?" she asked them, "I'd love it if you all could come and meet my family."

The Doctor looked at Evy who shrugged, "We have a time machine," she reminded him.

He grinned, "Let's," he held out a hand to her for her to take as they followed Clara out of the TARDIS.

~8~

Clara ran into her flat, tugging J by the hand, "Hello!" she cheered as she pulled him before her family, "So er, here he is!"

"Hello, hello," J grinned widely, "You must be…Gran," he took Gran's hand and kissed the back of it, "And Mr. Oswald," he turned to the man, shaking his hand as well, giving it a firm shake so the man would know he was a decent bloke…that was how humans did it, wasn't it? A firm handshake? Oh well, "And the lovely aunt Linda," he moved around the table to shake Linda's hand while also giving her a peck on the cheek, before he made his way back to Clara's side, draping and easy arm around her shoulders, "Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas," Gran smiled at him, he seemed like a lovely young man and…she could see it, when he'd glanced at Clara only a moment ago, how his eyes lit up as he looked at her, how he smiled wider, oh that boy was so gone about her granddaughter.

"So, this is um…" she glanced at J, her eyes wide, not entirely sure what to call him, the Captain would be weird, but he didn't like being called J, did that go for Jonathan as well?

"Captain John Smith," J winked at her.

She let out a breath at the humany name, "My boyfriend," she murmured up at him.

He positively beamed at that and took her hand, lifting it to his lips to kiss as he continued to gaze at her.

"Is this the right…" Clara looked over, hearing the Doctor's voice, "Ah, yes, Clara there you are!" he cheered, entering with Evy and LJ behind him, LJ holding Evy's hand as they entered, "Ooh and these must be the Oswalds!" he grinned, "Hello!" he leaned across the table to shake Linda's hand, the rather confused woman looking away from him, "Hello," he shook Mr. Oswald's as well, the man turning to Clara with a look of utter horror on his face, "And you," he turned to Gran, giving her two Gallic air kisses, "Hello handsome," he smiled at them but they just kept their eyes away from him, "So…anyone for Twister?"

Evey closed her eyes and shook her head, walking over to him, reaching out to place a hand on his cheek to turn his head towards her, kissing his cheek, "I think you forgot to do something Doctor."

He blinked and frowned, "What?"

But she just sent him a glance at his clothes, "I'm sure you'll work it out," she remarked, amused.

"Clara…who are these people?" Clara's father demanded.

"Oh, um…sorry," J winced, scratching his ear, "This is…" he sighed, almost bowing his head in resignation, "This is my um…" before he realized he couldn't say father as they looked about only 10 or so years apart.

"This is the Doctor," Evy introduced, "And I'm Evy, and this little tyke," she lifted LJ into her arms, "Is our son LJ, we're…friends of the Captain's," she added, glancing at him to see if that was alright, "We were just giving him a ride but Clara invited us up to meet you, hello."

"Hi!" LJ cheered, waving at them with both hands, excited.

Clara looked at her family, still averting their eyes from the Doctor, to J who was shaking his head, his hand on his eyes, and back, "Isn't anyone going to say hello?"

"Hello," Gran gave the Doctor an appreciative look.

The Doctor looked confused by that a moment, before he looked down at himself, then to Evy who nodded, and then his eyes widened, "Excuse us a moment," he called, before turning J and Clara to the back of the room, Evy walking over with LJ, "Listen, I've got an idea to break the ice," he whispered to Clara, "Why don't I…"

"Project your clothes hologram onto their visual cortexes too?" J supplied, shaking his head, he really should have expected this to happen. It had to be like a curse, it was impossible for him to appear normal. He was trying, he really was, he knew how important it was to Clara that she appear human for her family till she could work out how to tell them that she wasn't anymore. He really was trying to seem human…and then his father-who-looks-his-age walks in completely naked.

"So, to be clear," Clara closed her eyes, praying what she was about to say was wrong, "No one except us can see your clothes?"

"Yes," the Doctor nodded, "And I'm starting to think it may be causing tension."

"Dad, why didn't you project them BEFORE you entered the room?" J sighed, "Mum did."

"Well, technically I set it for all visual cortexes," Evy remarked, "Mine and LJ's," she gave a small smirk, "I didn't think you'd appreciate Clara or her family seeing your bare bum as a baby eh?"

"Mum!" J cried, running a hand down his face, oh he was just going to love this version of his mother, wasn't he? The version that took delight in 'acting the mum' and embarrassing him every chance she got…though he got the feeling she did it knowingly.

Clara let out a bit of a giggle at that, before her grandmother called out, "Are we playing Twister now?"

"Get him into the kitchen," Clara pleaded to Evy as she shoved the Doctor off, Evy laughing as she pulled him out by the hand, J shaking his head and following after, "Eh…sorry," she grinned at her family, "Sorry...he's Swedish," before she ran into the kitchen too, only to see him holding LJ now, the two of them looking at the turkey as it cooked in the oven, "Doctor please!"

"Oh that's never going to work is it boyo?" the Doctor asked LJ.

But it was Evy who answered, pulling out her sonic to flash the turkey, scanning it, "It's still got a few hours to go Clara."

"Hours?!" Clara stared at them, "It's not done yet? It's been IN there for hours."

"I think a decent vet would give it an even chance," the Doctor joked.

LJ gasped, and looked at Evy, "Turkey…pet?!" he gave her some wide eyes at that.

"No," Evy shook her head with a small laugh.

"Right then," Clara sighed, "Well…use an app."

"An app?" J gave her a look.

"On your screwdrivers," she nodded, gesturing at him, Evy, and the Doctor, "App it."

"Most certainly not," the Doctor shook his head, holding out the sonic to wave it at her, only for LJ to try and steal it, "It doesn't do turkey."

"What, like it doesn't do wood?" she crossed her arms and lifted an eyebrow at him.

"Nothing does turkey."

"Not even the three of you together?" she was grasping at straws here.

"Not even that," Evy remarked, glancing at the turkey, "A turkey that size…it would need a time machine."

"A time machine?" Clara blinked, before smiling, all of them smiling…except the Doctor.

"What?" he frowned, only to get it a moment later, "Oh! Oh, yes a time machine, which we happen to have," he nodded, "Right, grab that turkey and we'll go prepare the TARDIS…" he started to head for the door…only for Evy to grab his hand and pull him back.

"Forgetting something again Doctor?" she gave him an amused smiled.

He frowned and patted himself down, trying to see if he'd left anything, before he realized he wasn't patting clothes, "Ah…" he nodded.

Evy laughed and aimed her sonic at him, setting his projection so the Oswalds wouldn't call the police on him.

~8~

"You can't keep using the TARDIS like this," the Doctor remarked as they entered the TARDIS, J carrying the turkey for Clara as she got the door for him, Evy and LJ behind them.

"Like what?" Clara asked, following him down the steps to the underconsole with J as Evy and LJ stayed above, needing to get them into the Vortex and travelling for the turkey to cook properly.

"Missed birthdays, restaurant bookings, and please just learn how to use iPlayer."

"The Cap'n doesn't have a problem when I use HIS TARDIS like that," Clara crossed her arms as the Doctor opened one of the panels at the base of the console pole.

"Well that's his TARDIS and his business, and YOU," he pointed at Clara, "Don't have to hear the TARDIS complain about it when you leave."

Clara blinked, "Sorry," she called to the box as it gave a soft hum, more like it was brushing it off, like it really wasn't that big a deal as the Doctor was making it out to be. She looked back down to see J putting the turkey down into the panel, "So…Vortex cooking?"

"Yep," J popped the p, "The exposure to the time winds ought to do nicely."

"Yes," the Doctor nodded, "It'll either come up a treat or just possibly lay some eggs."

"Information available," a robotic voice called from above them, making the Doctor grin and rush up the steps, Clara and J about to follow when J tugged her back to kiss her quickly, winking as they wouldn't be able to when they were in front of his baby self, before heading up after him.

"Is that a Cyberman?" Clara blinked when she saw the head on the console, "Why have you got a Cyberhead?"

"Better than a Nestene Duplicate head," Evy remarked, recalling the Doctor's first adventure with Rose and Mickey, how the poor boy had been taken by one and the Doctor, in trying to get information out of it, much like he was now with the Cyberhead, had caused it to melt all over the controls.

"I have developed a fault," the Cyberhead stated.

"It's alright Clara," Evy called, coming around to rap on the top of the metal head, "All the organics are gone, it's just a shell, but a useful one. It's got a full databank that we're using to help us work out why everyone's here."

"Found it at the Maldovar market," the Doctor nodded from the other side of the console, "Also found this!" he pulled a small rocket ship and control, "What do you think boyo?" he smiled, heading over to LJ…when Evy walked past him, taking the rocket away.

"You're not seriously about to give a toddler an actual remote controlled ROCKET, are you Doctor?" she gave him a look.

"Right," he winced.

But before he could say anymore, Handles called out, "Planet identified from analysis of message."

"Right," he repeated, smiling as he headed to the console, Evy moving to put the rocket away somewhere safe as they gathered around the robot head, "Cool, go on then. Ok, tell us what is the planet? Go on."

"Processing official designation. Processing…"

Evy laughed at that, "Any day now."

The Doctor rolled his eyes and pushed off the console, moving to the side controls.

"So," Clara looked at J, "Why haven't they just gone down there and had a look?"

"It's shielded apparently," J shrugged, "Not even the TARDIS can break through."

"Oh she could," Evy called, "But half her circuits would fry if she tried. And I'd rather not spend the next 20 years trying to repair even a fraction of them."

"Gallifrey," Handles said suddenly.

The Doctor stiffened as Evy's smile fell, "What did you say?" the man turned to the robot.

"Gallifrey."

"What are you talking about? Gallifrey? What do you mean?"

"Confirmed. Planet designation…Gallifrey."

Evy shook her head and picked up the robotic head, bringing it over to the monitor, "You're wrong," she told it, pointing at a display of the planet, "That isn't Gallifrey, Gallifrey has an orange sky, that's blue. It has red grass and you can see that one has green…that…that planet is NOT our home."

The Doctor moved over to her side, winding an arm around her waist, sensing she was as upset as he as about it. For one brief moment, hearing that the planet was Gallifrey had filled them with hope…before they both remembered what she'd said to the head, that Gallifrey was a different color, that no matter where it ended up it would always be that color…that it wasn't Gallifrey.

"Are you alright mum?" J asked quietly, feeling Clara step closer to him and take his hand, though it was hidden behind their backs so LJ wouldn't see, "Dad?"

"It's just…" the Doctor sighed, taking Handles from Evy to place him back on the console, "It's not Gallifrey," he mumbled, moving to the doors with Evy to look out at the planet, "Gallifrey's gone."

"Unless...unless you saved it," Clara reminded them, "You thought you might have."

Evy smiled a bit at that, "Even if it did survive, if we succeeded…it wouldn't be in this universe, it would be in a…a pocket one," she looked at Clara, "Like with Emma but one that wouldn't just fade out or collapse on itself."

They all looked up when they heard the blare of a ships horn, or what sounded like it, "What's that?" Clara frowned as she and J walked over…

"UP!" LJ called, fidgeting in his play pen.

Clara laughed at that and rushed over to scoop the boy into her arms, bringing him over to see, knowing he must have already seen the planet before they'd stopped by her flat, but the horn and whatever made it had to be new.

"Papal Mainframe," the Doctor remarked, seeing a rather large ship drift up level with them, "It's like a great big flying church."

"They had to have been the first ones to get here," J remarked, rubbing his eye.

The Doctor nodded, "And if they were, then they are the ones who shielded the planet. They can get us down there!"

Evy frowned when she saw the hologram of a woman's face appear in the ship before them, taking up its entire length, the woman who was looking right at the Doctor, smirking at him, "A friend of yours Doctor?" Evy asked, crossing her arms and giving him more of an expectant look.

"Um," he swallowed hard, "Tasha Lem," he introduced, "The Mother Superious…"

"Oh, look at that," Evy remarked dryly when Tasha crooked a finger at them, "Someone wants a word."

"She's allowing us onboard," the Doctor tried to defend, not seeing J making cutting motions as his neck to stop talking.

"And why is that?" Evy asked.

"Because I asked her," he said simply, not seeing why she was giving him a look…but Evy just shook her head and took LJ, heading back in, "Swallow this," he held out a pill on either side of him, one for J and one for Clara.

"What is it?" Clara asked as she swallowed it, J doing the same though he made a grimace as he did it, clearly recognizing it.

"Our hologram projectors," J told her.

"Why do we need hologram projectors?" Clara looked at them, suspicious.

"Because you can't go to church with your clothes on!" the Doctor said as though it were obvious.

J sighed as the Doctor headed back in to help Evy pilot, "Sorry Clar," he offered her an apologetic smile, "I think the turkey might take a bit longer to get ready.

~8~

Clara stuck close by J as they followed the Doctor and Evy, both of whom were striding along without a care in the world, complete and utter confidence about their gait, with LJ between them, swinging him up and down as he giggled, all of them walking through the halls of the Papal Mainframe, heading for the meeting room.

"I don't feel like I'm wearing anything," Clara hissed to J as they entered the room, two rows of people on either side of an aisle that led to a woman, with brown hair and a black streak across her eyes.

She was a bit…curious as to why he wasn't freaking out that other people were seeing her, his LINK, naked, wondering why the Doctor wasn't having a conniption about it either. It was…weird. Because she…she actually didn't feel odd about it either, about others seeing J like that…and it made no sense at all. On one adventure with him, she'd managed to convince him to stop and ask for directions (her greatest feat in life yet) and he'd asked a girl…and she'd wanted to storm right over to him and pull him away, even though the girl had a wedding band on.

' _It's because I can't see your body,_ ' he told her in her mind, picking up on that, ' _Neither can dad see mum's. To us…it's either believe what our mind is telling us, that you ARE wearing clothes…or end up disrespecting the church and having them kill us all for it._ '

Clara blinked at him, ' _They'd kill us?_ '

He let out a bit of a scoffing laugh, ' _They behead their monks,_ ' he told her, ' _If they do that to their greatest followers…what do you think they do to the ones they excommunicate?_ ' Clara blinked at that, startled, but J apparently wasn't finished, ' _I mean, I would LOVE to not have the visual projection,_ ' he gave her a saucy grin, ' _Absolutely love it and..._ '

' _Oi,_ ' Clara blushed fiercely, sending him a light whack on the chest...only for him to catch her hand and hold it against him for a moment, winking at her before he lowered their hands to be simply held between them.

Clara smiled at that, feeling him rub the back of her hand with his thumb, wanting to reassure her, and looked towards his parents, "And this is the…Papal Mainframe?" she asked.

"The Church of the Papal Mainframe," Evy corrected lightly, "The…I suppose…security hub of the universe."

"A security church?"

"Yep," the Doctor nodded, "Keeping you safe in this world and the next!" he came to a stop before Tasha as she looked at him with a small smile, "I venerate the exaltation of the Mother Superious," he bowed deeply, Evy doing the same, Clara and J mimicking them as well. Poor LJ though tried his hardest to bow…but ended up overbalancing and plopping back onto his bum so as not to fall onto his face, pouting and crossing his arms at his failure.

"Welcome to the Church of the Papal Mainframe," a man standing beside Tasha greeted, "Your nudity is appreciated."

"Hey babes," Tasha smirked at the Doctor.

"Babes?" Evy turned her head to him, giving him the impression she was about to be very, VERY cross with him…but Clara saw the small twitch in the corner of the woman's mouth, knowing that it meant Evy was more teasing him than actually angry with him…

But the Doctor didn't know that, "I love you?" he offered Evy instead, before glancing at Tasha, "Tash, meet Evelyn Daniels," he gestured at Evy, "My…my Link, Evy," he smiled at her, "My lovely Link, mother of my child, that's him, down there, LJ," he pointed at the boy before them, "And, well, I suppose, him back there too," he jerked a thumb over his shoulder at J.

"Hello," J grinned widely, "And MY Link, the captivating Clara."

Clara blinked, "What is it with you and alliterations?" she asked them, the Doctor often called Evy his Lovely Link, but she'd never heard J call her his Captivating Clara before, she was starting to think she ought to get him away from the Doctor before he started to sound more like the man.

"Yes, hello," Evy looked at Tasha, before glancing at the Doctor once more, "Tash?"

"TashA," he corrected quickly, "Tasha, yes, Tasha Lem," he nodded, deciding it was best to be as formal as possible given the, er…history between him and Tasha and his new history with Evy, "Um…nice frock," he offered the woman.

Tasha looked at Evy intently for a moment, before catching something in the woman's gaze and smirking at the Doctor, "Is that a new body? Give us a twirl!" she flirted.

"Tash…sha!" the Doctor blushed, getting flustered, "This old thing? Please, I've been rocking it for centuries," he glanced between her and Evy, hoping he wasn't offending one over the other. He was well aware of what J was, that if he insulted Tasha, she could easily have him killed (or try to) but if he angered Evy…she probably really COULD kill him (well, not really, 'cos of the Link, but still!).

"Nice though," Tasha winked at him, "Tight."

"Stop it!" he whined.

"Calm down Doctor," Evy started to laugh, seeing him getting all red, linking her arm through his and resting her chin on his shoulder, "It's fine."

He looked at her sharply, "But…she…and…flirting!"

Evy smiled at that, "You are MY Link," she said simply, "I trust you. What happened between you running from Gallifrey and us Linking doesn't matter."

Well, it did, but only to the point that it let her know nothing very serious had ever occurred between the Doctor and other women. Kissing was the farthest he'd ever gotten, flirting a bit, but nothing even close to true infidelity, not that it could be called that when he wasn't aware of her. But still, he had never betrayed her like that, not even before he knew her. With Tasha, she'd seen it in his mind, his meeting with her, as it happened. She knew they had a bit of a little fling, some kissing and flirting, but that was all. And it had been long before he'd found her again. And Tasha, the woman had been very respectful, she'd seen the look Tasha had given her, not a sort of appraising look but more of a concerned one of how she'd handle a woman who had had relations with the Doctor being there. She'd also…slightly glimpsed into Tasha's mind, seen her resolving to back off, to contain her innuendo and flirting for the respect of the Doctor's Link…but when she'd caught the woman's glance, she'd given her the smallest of nods to do what she wanted (to a degree).

It was just SO much fun to tease the Doctor, he did get so flustered it was just adorable. And she really did want the Doctor to know she trusted him. He could be friends with women, he often was, his companions were evidence of it, she wasn't going to forbid him to speak to them, even ones he'd once known. As long as any past relations didn't try to 'take him back' or pull him away from her, then they were fine in her book. If they respected her and her relationship with the Doctor now, then she could respect them and the relationship they had with him then. She liked that about this body, it was even more confident in the Link than her last one had been.

"Right," the Doctor let out a breath, before smiling, "Clara, Captain, this is Tasha Lem the Head of the Church of the Papal Mainframe," he introduced.

Tasha nodded to them, before declaring, "We'll go to my chapel," and looking out past them at those gathered to announce, "All honors in place no sacrifices required."

~8~

"It was Tasha who shielded the planet," the Doctor remarked as they walked down the halls of the Mainframe, heading for Tasha's quarters, "But you could sneak us down there couldn't you?"

"I would have conditions," Tasha countered as they came to a stop before the large doors that would lead to her rooms. She glanced at Evy, LJ in her arms, and then at J and Clara, "I have…confidential matters to discuss with the Doctor. Would you...excuse us?"

The Doctor frowned at that, more offended Evy was being asked to stay out there than worried Tasha was request a private word with him, "Anything you have to say to me you can say in front of my Link, Tasha."

"It's alright Doctor," Evy nodded, catching a bit more of Tasha's thoughts. Oh, dear, this her seemed a bit nosy as well, she didn't often read the minds of others quite this much. And she got the feeling it wasn't just because Tasha was a prior intrigue of his. She could see it in Tasha's mind, there were…traitors within the Mainframe, there were those out there that would try to find out what was being said within, and Tasha wanted as many people out the doors to keep them away…

And the only reason she'd want more people outside…was if it was the Silence she was worried about. If they left just one of them out there, it would be impossible for them to remember the Silence the moment they turned away, the more there, the more they could be remembered. And with her there, able to remember them all on her own, it would be safer.

"We'll stand guard," she remarked, giving Tasha a small look that the woman nodded to.

The Doctor sighed, "If you're sure…"

She nodded, leaning in to give him a kiss, "Go on."

He smiled at her, touching her cheek and kissing her once more, dropping a kiss onto LJ's head as well as the boy fussed, making him laugh as he headed into the room after Tasha.

"Um…why are we waiting out here again?" Clara asked when the doors shut, more than a bit surprised that Evy AND J had agreed to it.

J shrugged, "Oh, I dunno, thought you might want to, um…take a walk," he looked at Clara meaningfully, "Maybe explore a bit…with me…alone…"

Clara blinked and looked at Evy, who had a thankfully distracted LJ in her arms, the boy busying himself with examining her red hair, STILL not used to it, "That…sounds lovely," she nodded at him.

"Just go," Evy laughed, knowing what her son's idea of 'exploring' would be, she gave them to around the next corner before J tried to snog Clara senseless…he certainly was his father's son in that regard.

She waved them off, bouncing LJ a bit as she watched them go, shaking her head when she saw J quickly duck around a corner and pull Clara after him with a small laugh out of the girl that was silenced a bit TOO quickly. She turned back, looking around, "Well, then, just me and you eh LJ?" she smiled at him.

"Yay!" he cheered, beaming up at her.

"There's my little man," she winked, she loved that. He was SO much like the Doctor, but…she liked that he did love spending time with her as well. Gave her a chance to see a little bit of her in him too.

She stiffened though, when she heard a rasping noise and looked up, spotting a Silent standing across from her, "Wonderful," she remarked dryly.

~8~

"That altar looks like a bed," the Doctor paused as he stepped into the room, staring at the bed-like altar.

"That bed looks like an altar," Tasha countered, heading to the side to get a drink.

"Right," he nodded, clearing his throat before walking around it, not bothering to sit on it, not wanting to even entertain the thought of sitting on a bed with a woman who wasn't Evy. He felt like the last time he'd done that…Amy had tried to kiss him. Yes, best to avoid the bed unless Evy was in it. He blushed at the thought, only shaking his head from his thoughts when he heard the 3-notes playing and turned to see Tasha had sat at the head of the bed and turned on a small comm. to play it.

"That message…" she began, "Is transmitting through all of space and time. What did it make you feel?"

"Feel?" he frowned, not sure what she meant by that, he hadn't really felt anything…except annoyance that the TARDIS wasn't translating it.

"Every sentient being in the universe who detected that signal felt something. Something overpowering."

"What?"

Tasha sighed, "Fear. Pure unadulterated dread."

~8~

"Don't," Evy held out a warning finger at the Silent, carefully placing LJ on the ground and taking his hand to keep him close, "Don't take a step closer," she warned it…only for two more Silence to step on either side of it, "Oh just wonderful," she repeated.

~8~

"Right," the Doctor murmured at that bit of information, "What's the signal, where's it coming from?"

"It's a settlement," Tasha told him about the planet, "Human colony level 2. A farm basically."

"Right. Anyone been for a look?"

"Any one ship lands the rest will follow, there will be bloodshed. Fortunately we got here first, shielded the planet. We maintain the truce by blocking all of them."

"Daleks, Cybermen…one of that lot could break through your defenses."

"Perhaps," she nodded, "But they're afraid remember? Nobody wants to go first."

The Doctor smirked, "I do."

Tasha grinned, taking a sip of her drink, "I was counting on it."

~8~

"Confess..." the Silence rasped as they disregarded Evy's warning and came closer, "Confess..."

"I am telling you only once," she said firmly, "Stay back!"

But they just kept drawing nearer, nearer to her and her son…and so…she threw out her hand, sending them flying back.

~8~

J gasped as he pulled away from a rather nice snog with Clara, his eyes wide, as though just remembering something, "Mum…"

Clara blinked, "Ok…not quite what I was hoping you'd say after that…"

"No, no _mum_!" he took her hand and pulled her around the corner, the two of them running down the hall when they saw Evy on her knees, LJ beside her, hugging her tightly, "Mum what happened!?" he turned to Clara, "Get dad!"

Clara nodded and burst into the room to see the Doctor standing in the back of the room with Tasha, both of them fiddling with some sort of control panel, "Doctor!" she gasped, "It's Evy…something's happened!"

The Doctor was running and out in the hall in an instant, kneeling by Evy's side, not seeing J standing before her, staring down the hall, "Eves!" he gasped, moving to touch her, lifting her head to look at him, brushing the tiniest bit of blood from under her nose away, "What happened? Are you ok?"

"Dad," J called and the Doctor looked up, seeing J staring and followed his gaze to see three Silent picking themselves up off the grounds.

"What…" he frowned, before looking back at Evy, "You threw them?" he asked.

She nodded, "I told them to stop and stay away…" she gave him a wry smile, "They didn't listen."

He let out a bit of a laugh, knowing it was a lingering resentment and fear of the Silence and how they seemed to love taking children that had driven her to it. With LJ there…she wouldn't risk it. They knew that the Silence in the Mainframe were likely not the same ones as from Demons Run, but…it was hard to disassociate them in their minds. Silence, were…Silence to them, which wasn't really fair but that was how it was for the moment, "Remind me never to not listen to you," he murmured.

"Oh," she reached up and patted his cheek, "You already know that you ought to listen to me."

He smiled and reached out a hand to help her up, "Captain?" he asked.

"I've got it dad," J nodded, still staring, "Just…get mum and Clara into the chapel."

Clara moved over to LJ and picked him up, following the Doctor back as he led Evy along, frowning as she saw J backing up but not taking his eyes off the alien things till they were safely in the room and had shut the doors.

"Tasha," the Doctor turned to her, "We want on that planet, NOW," he told her firmly, knowing that none of them would feel comfortable with the Silence there.

Tasha nodded, "My personal teleport," she nodded back to the device she and the Doctor had been setting up, "I can put you down just outside the town. Find the source of the message and report back to me in one hour. And on your life Doctor," she shot him a warning look as J and Clara got in one side of the teleport, the Doctor, Evy, and LJ in the other, "You will cause no trouble down there."

Evy smirked at that, "You really don't know him do you?" she joked.

"Oi!" the Doctor pointed at her, "When do I ever cause trouble?"

"Only always."

He had to nod at that, "True," he sighed, about to close the curtain that covered their compartment…when he saw Tasha holding out a hand to him, "What?"

"I'm not an idiot," she remarked with a roll of her eyes, "Everyone in this church is trained to see straight through holograms. Give now. You are taking no technology of any kind down there."

"What can I do with a key?" he asked, knowing that Evy didn't have a key, the TARDIS seemed to love her, and just…opened when Evy wanted the box to. Which the box herself had confirmed that she liked Evy better as she didn't break things constantly but fixed them.

"You could summon your TARDIS."

"The key isn't a remote control," Evy shook her head.

"But fine," the Doctor huffed, "If it makes you feel any better, there we are," he handed over the key.

"Remember," she stepped back and over to the controls, "I want you back in one hour," before she pulled a lever and sent them off…

~8~

Clara gasped as they appeared in the middle of a snowy hill, STILL snowing, only all too aware that she was, in fact, still naked, just…a bit shocked at the sudden change in temperature but…not overly cold. She silently thanked the stars that she was a Time Lady now, they were better able to handle the temperatures than a human. Oh she was sure if she'd still been one she'd have been half frozen by now.

"You alright Clar?" J looked at her putting an arm around her, "There's a heat loss filter in your hologram shell, it should kick in soon and warm you up."

"Yeah," she nodded, "I know."

He grinned at her, "I know you know," he winked, "I just wanted to help um, keep you warm till it kicked in."

Evy shook her head as she watched them, they were so cute in how they were trying to keep their relationship hidden from LJ. He was a toddler, all he needed was a toy or something shiny to distract him and they could probably snog right then and there and the boy wouldn't notice. But she thought it was rather sweet how her son was using the heat lost filter as an excuse to put his arm around Clara because of LJ.

She looked over when she felt the Doctor do the same, put his arm around her and kiss her temple, rubbing her arm lightly as they stood there in the snow, LJ not at all worried about the cold. They had made sure that his hologram was working and perfect at high power, his shield had kicked in the moment the cold had touched him, he hadn't even gotten a chill.

"So," the Doctor began, looking out down the hill at a small town, "Sweet little town covered in snow, half the universe in terror. Why? Why?"

"Hold on," J frowned, spotting something in the distance, "What's that?"

"What's what?" Evy asked.

"There's something under the snow," he told them, heading over with Clara, seeing what looked like a frozen arm sticking out of it, "It's..."

"What is that?" Clara frowned as she tapped it, "It's cold…"

"It's…stone," J frowned, before his eye widened, "It's a statue! Clara get back!" he turned to pull her away, turning them to run, only for a stone hand to grab his calf, "Arg," he nearly stumbled and fell, but Clara caught him, "Weeping Angel!" he called to his parents, turning to look at it over his shoulder.

"Keep looking at it!" the Doctor shouted as they ran over, "Don't even...blink!"

"Why are the Weeping Angels here?" Clara shook her head, staring at the statue's arm, recalling them from some of her Time Lord memories.

"Captain," Evy began calmly, trying to keep her head as she soothed LJ, the boy worried for his future self, "Can you pull your leg away?"

He grimaced, trying to tug it experimentally, "I think so…but only if it doesn't tighten its grip anymore…"

"Ok," the Doctor reached out to take one of his hands, Clara doing the same, "Just…pull hard," he told Clara.

"Right," she nodded, "One…two…three!" she and the Doctor gave an almighty tug, J falling onto them, onto the snow…sending the three of them rolling down a hill in the snow.

Evy just took a breath, looking at the heavens a moment to shake her head, before carefully making her way down the hill after them, LJ in her arms, the boy clapping and mumbling about how he wanted a go.

"Urg," J groaned as they landed in a heap on the snow at the base of the hill, "Not something I ever needed to experience," he remarked, referring to rolling down a hill, naked, with his Link and father at the same time, "At least not with dad…"

"Cap'n!" Clara blushed.

"And, well, I did imagine it with more hay than snow…" J winked at her, completely joking about the 'roll in the hay…' well, somewhat joking, ok maybe just a little joking.

"Stop it!" Clara whacked his chest, but he caught her hand…only this time his smile was fading as he looked around.

"Dad…" J began, "We've got a problem."

The Doctor sat up slowly to see what J was talking about…only to see various statues popping out of the snow, all Weeping Angels, all trying to climb towards them, "Up!" he shouted, scrambling to his feet, "Up! Get up!" he helped them up, all of them moving back to back to try and keep the Angels in sight.

"They're climbing out of the snow!" Clara gasped.

"And following us as well," Evy called, joining them, half jumping over a statue the Doctor was looking at, "Keep looking at them."

"What are they even doing here?" J frowned, squeezing Clara's hand.

"They're here for the same reason everyone else is," Evy remarked, "They probably got here just before the Papal Mainframe though."

"Keep looking!" the Doctor called, even LJ trying his best to stay focused on them, a small look of concentration in his eyes.

"I can't," Clara tried not to blink but it was snowing rather hard, "I can't see, the snow's in my eyes."

The Doctor started to pat himself down, "I just need to bring the TARDIS down…"

"You can't fly it remotely," J warned him.

"Yes," Evy agreed, "But it should be able to home in on the TARDIS key."

"But she took they key!" Clara cried.

The Doctor grinned, touching his hair, "She took one of them!" and reached behind his head to pull a key out from the middle of his hair…taking his hair off with it as a light surrounded them…

~8~

"Engines activating," Handles stated, activating himself as a light filled the TARDIS and the five Time Lords appeared within it. J with his arm around Clara, her pointing in horror at the Doctor as he grinned, holding out a key…a wig in his hand, completely bald, while Evy stood beside him with LJ in her arms, the boy reaching for the wig.

"The old key in the quiff routine," the Doctor cheered, tossing the wig onto Handles, only for LJ to pull it off and start to play with it, "Classic! Ok," he moved to the console, "Homing in on the mysterious message. Ooh yes I like that," he grinned at Evy, "The mysterious message."

"Dad…" J began, blinking, "What in the name of sanity have you done to your head?"

"You've shaved all your hair off?" Clara gaped.

"Yep," he grinned, "Clever plan to get us past the shield!"

Evy shook her head, "He got bored one night and I'd hidden all the crayons."

Clara tilted her head, "Is that what happened to your eyebrows?"

"No," the Doctor felt them, "They're just delicate."

J reached up and touched his eyebrows as well, "Oh thank god," he muttered, he hadn't exactly noticed his eyebrows, but he was rather glad they felt full.

"Come on," Evy smiled, handing LJ over to the Doctor, the man laughing as he saw his son now wearing his wig and beaming happily up at him, "You hold him and _I'll_ set us down near the source of the 'mysterious message,'" she joked, using his name for it.

"Would it be alright if I turn the engines on silent?" Clara asked, "I…I think I remember how to do it and I think it would be best if we sneak around instead of your usual entrance."

"What's my usual entrance?" the Doctor frowned.

"Noisy," J remarked.

"Extravagant," Clara added.

"Explosions," Evy deadpanned.

"Fun!" LJ cheered, making Evy shake her head at that and him beam, pointing at his baby son as though he'd gotten it right.

"It's fine Clara," Evy nodded at her, gesturing to the controls as she made her way around the other side.

J moved beside Clara, watching with a happy smile as she put in the right commands, only needing him to nudge her hand once.

~8~

The doors to the TARDIS opened as the box set down in the middle of a quaint little town, the one they'd seen from the hill before and the group of five Time Lords stepped out, "Oh it's good to be wearing clothes again," Clara sighed happily, "That's so much better, don't you think?" she smiled at them.

J shrugged, but sent her a playful wink, making her shake her head at him.

"I think it depends on the clothes, right LJ?" Evy smiled at her baby son, the boy huffing as he thought of quite a few ridiculous outfits his mother had made him wear over the years.

"Now," the Doctor grinned, holding up Handles, "What do we make of this place? It's two o'clock in the afternoon," he glanced at his watch.

"So the days are rather short then," Evy agreed.

"The TARDIS said the message was coming from that tower right?" J glanced at it, "Well, let's go then," he smiled, eager as ever.

They had only made it a few feet when they spotted a lovely couple heading down the road towards them, "HI!" LJ waved at them, "Hi! Hi!"

The Doctor laughed and ruffled LJ's hair, much to the boy's ire, before he too waved at the couple, "Hello there!" and led them towards the duo, "Right," he looked at Evy, "We're a couple from the next town, come here with our son to help my…" he frowned, glancing at J who gave him an amused look to see what he'd say this time, "Brother…and his new wife, settle in here, they've just moved. My names probably Hank or Rock something like that."

"Or Daisy?" Evy joked.

"Shut up."

"Excuse me?" she gave him an amused look.

"I mean…" he winced, "I love you?"

Evy laughed and pecked his cheek for it, before she turned to greet the couple as they drew nearer, "Hello."

"Yes!" J cheered, "Hello, hello!" and shook their hands vigorously, "How are you?!"

"Hi," Clara offered, "Pleased to meet you."

"Most pleasant to meet you too," the man greeted with a chuckle, not seeming disturbed in the least by the metal head in the Doctor's arms.

"Most pleasant," the woman laughed, "Most pleasant."

"I'm the Doctor and this is my Link, Evy, and our sons LJ and J," the Doctor crossed his arms to point at both J and LJ, "We're Time Lords from the planet Gallifrey. I stole a time machine and ran away and I've been flouting the principal law of my own people ever since," he quickly slapped a hand over his mouth as the couple laughed, not at all perturbed by what he'd said, "That wasn't quite what I was meant to say!"

Evy opened her mouth to speak as well and ended up rambling, "I'm Evy, as he said, I'm a Time Lady from the Planet Gallifrey, my father was the president, my brother was a madman who nearly destroyed the planet Earth a handful of times along with attempting to enslave the entire Universe. And I can move things with my mind because I was locked away in a madhouse for taking aspirin," she blinked and looked at the Doctor, shocked that she'd said all that.

J chuckled, only to introduce himself as, "I'm the Captain, also known as J, also known as John Smith, also known as Spaceman, I'm the first Time Lord born since the end of the Last Great Time War and I thought I was completely alone in the Universe till I met…" he quickly slapped his hand over his mouth, absolutely NOT wanting to admit hat in front of his baby self, but he felt the urge to continue speaking and fought it with everything he had till he managed to ground out, "…my best friend River, also known as Melody Pond, also known as Timegirl, a psychopath who tried to kill my parents and me."

Clara laughed a bit at them, not quite sure why they were saying that, but turned to the couple, "I'm an English teacher from planet Earth and I've run off with a couple aliens from space for the adventure of it all and because they were really familiar and then I sort of stuck around because I think their son is really cute and the other is just adorable…" her eyes widened as she looked at the others, all of them shocked. LJ just giggled away at them, too young to need to introduce himself and too young to have any secrets to blurt out like that.

The couple laughed heartily at their shock, "I think perhaps you should stop talking till you get used to it," the woman warned.

"Used to what?" Evy frowned, not liking the sound of that, that there was something there influencing them.

"What did you say your name was?"

"Bubbly personality masking bossy control freak!" Clara said.

"Suave, charming, daredevil who tends to find more trouble than he intends," J offered.

"Not quite sure at the moment," Evy stated, actually telling the…truth about that. Having regenerated such a short while ago, she was really still trying to work out the sort of person she was.

"I'm wearing a wig!" the Doctor smiled, pointing to his head where the wig was back in place, Clara having asked him to wear it again as his ears looked like rocket fins.

"This is getting ridiculous," Evy shook her head, pulling her sonic out and scanning around, "Oh…" she looked at the readings, "A truth field."

"That is so quaint," the Doctor smiled, "I haven't seen a truth field in years!"

"I haven't seen one ever," J remarked, well, he had as a baby, but he wasn't really counting that.

"I'm wearing a wig!" the Doctor repeated, taking LJ's hand as the boy reached for his head, trying to pull the wig off.

"No one can lie in this town," the man informed them, giving them a nod before heading off, "Especially this close to the tower."

"Doesn't that make life a little difficult?" J called to them.

"Not at all," the man paused, but the woman replied, "Yes."

"This town, what's it called?" the Doctor asked.

"It's Christmas," the man stated.

Clara frowned, getting a sort of feel for the time on that planet, "It's July though."

"No," the woman laughed, "The town. The town is Christmas, that's what it's called."

"Be happy here," the man waved at them before walking off, "Be well."

"How can a town be called Christmas?" Clara murmured.

"I don't know," the Doctor countered, "How can an island be called Easter? Maybe it's just nice here. I almost hate to find out what's wrong," still, he pulled out his sonic and picked up the trace of the signal from Evy, the two of them walking off towards the tower and stepping in.

They set LJ down, Clara keeping an eye on the boy as he dashed in, eager to explore, smiling as she followed after him, J smiling as he followed after her, leaving his parents to wander behind them…

Only for the Doctor to stop as he caught sight of something out of the corner of his eye, "There you are," he breathed, pulling Evy's attention over to it as well, "What took you so long?"

And there, in the back of the next room, was a giant crack in space and time set in the wall, glowing white with Time Energy on the other side. They slowly entered, not seeing J and Clara had headed back, Clara with LJ's hand in her own.

"What's…" J frowned as he saw the crack, "Is that…it can't be. Can it?"

Evy let out a soft laugh at how much he sounded like Donna just then, "It is."

"It's a crack in the wall," Clara frowned, not sure what was so ominous about it to get such quiet reactions from them.

"It's not just a crack Clar," J murmured, "It's…something much more than that.

"I knew," the Doctor remarked as he stepped closer to it, tracing the contours of it with a finger, Evy scanning it with her sonic, getting slightly different readings than the one that had been on Amy's wall, "I always knew it wasn't over."

"What is it exactly then?" Clara shook her head, "If it's not just a crack."

"BOOM!" LJ cheered, throwing his arms up.

"Right boyo," the Doctor nodded, "It's a split in the skin of reality, a tiny sliver of the 26th of June 2010, the day the universe blew up."

Clara blinked, "Ok…missed that one…"

"We rebooted the Universe," Evy glanced at her, "Reversed all that."

"That's good."

"It was their TARDIS that blew it up in the first place," J told her, "They felt like it was their fault and their job to fix it."

"And we did," Evy nodded, "But it seems the scars of it still exist," she looked at the Doctor, holding up her sonic, "They've become structural weakness in the walls of the Universe."

He walked over and looked at her sonic, his eyes widening at the readings, "And someone's trying to get through it from outside our universe, from somewhere else. Of course," he nodded, "Of course. It makes sense."

"Might need a tiny bit of help," Clara remarked.

"If you want to break through something," J explained, "You pick the weakest point of it right?" she nodded, "Well, to get into this universe…that would be the cracks, the scars," he nodded at the one in the wall.

"No," the Doctor shook his head, "Not…get into…get BACK into," he muttered, "You said Gallifrey," he pointed at Clara, "Why did you say Gallifrey?"

"Analysis of message composition indicates Gallifreyan origin according to TARDIS data banks," Handles stated.

"You said Gallifrey was gone," Clara reminded them carefully.

"No," Evy shook her head, "We just said it was in a pocket Universe. If the message is coming through from here," she looked at the crack, moving to crouch before it, "Then I'd bet the truth field is too."

"And if it's the Time Lords..." the Doctor nodded, starting to pat himself down, "If it's the Time Lords...ah ha!" he pulled out a round seal, "Seal of the High Council of Gallifrey," he grinned, "Nicked it off the Master in the Death Zone. There is an algorithm imprinted in the atomic structure," he slapped it onto Handles' forehead, "Use it to decode the message."

"Message decoding," Handles reported, "Message analysis proceeding. Information available. The message is a request for information."

"It's a question," the Doctor rolled his eyes, "Why can't you just say it's a question?!"

"Doctor…" Evy stiffened, "A question?" she gave him a look.

"It is being projected through all of time and space on a repeating cycle," Handles continued.

"The oldest question," Evy sighed, "The first question, just as Dorium said, hidden in plain sight..."

"Warning!" Handles cut in, "Translation will be available to all life-forms in range," the Time Lords glanced at each other, before looking back at Handles, "Translation follows. Doctor who? Doctor who?" they listened intently as Handles continued to repeat it, the translation starting to sound more and more like the general from the Time War that had told them to seal away the planet, "Doctor who? Doctor who?"

"A question only we could answer," the Doctor sighed, glancing at Evy, LJ/J, and Clara, "That only a Time Lord could answer."

"And they put a truth field in so they'd know you weren't lying," J realized.

"And if we give it," Evy added, "If we say your name, they'll know this is the right place and it's safe for them to come through."

"But…but it's not, is it?" Clara frowned, "I mean, that lot up there…they're all ready to attack aren't they? The second the Time Lords come through…they will."

The Doctor looked at J, "Captain…can you take this to the TARDIS and put it in the charger slot for the sonic?" he handed his son the base of the sonic, a secondary base as he still had his fully intact sonic beside him.

"Sure…" J said slowly, always a bit suspicious of when his father suddenly asked him to do such a random task.

"And Clara…" Evy looked at the girl, "Could you bring LJ back there too?" she asked, "It's…we haven't had the best experience with these cracks," she offered, "I'd feel better if he were safe in the TARDIS."

"No!" LJ pouted, shaking his head, "Stay! I stay!"

Evy looked at him with a sad smile, "I'm sorry son," she told him, "But you will always come first, your safety."

LJ pouted, but he was pleased his parents cared about him so much, but that didn't mean he wanted to go.

"No problem," Clara nodded, scooping LJ up even as the boy protested, "Come on Cap'n," she called, started to head out as J followed, the man casting one more look back at his parents before following Clara out.

Evy and the Doctor looked at them till the door shut before Evy looked down, the Doctor moving to put his arms around her, "It's for the best," he whispered, "We have to keep them safe."

"I know," she swallowed, "I just…"

Before she could even finish, Tasha's voice boomed above them, "Doctor speak with me. Evy! Face me now Time Lords!"

The Doctor sighed, "Come on," he took her hand and led her out of the base of the tower, heading up the steps till they reached the top. They glanced down to see J opening the TARDIS for Clara, letting her in. He looked up at them one more time as the smiled at him, nodding, and he disappeared within the box.

"Doctor," Tasha, or the floating holographic head of her called, "Evy."

"Mother Superious," the Doctor greeted, squeezing Evy's hand, seeing her attention not on Tasha but on the TARDIS, "There is only one thing we need from you, this planet...what's it called?"

"Trenzalore," Tasha replied grimly.

Making the Time Lords free, making them infinitely glad they'd sent their son (both versions) and his Link to the TARDIS…

~8~

Inside said TARDIS, Clara had just set LJ down in his playpen, when she looked over to see J stick the sonic base into a port, "Ok," she smiled, heading over to him, "Is that it?" she looked up at the rotor, "Are you doing a clever thing you gorgeous girl?"

But…oddly enough…the TARDIS was quiet, only a sad hum resounding.

J frowned up at that, the TARDIS _always_ talked ALWAYS, unless…unless what she had to say was something that broke her hearts…

~8~

"If you speak your name the Time Lords will return," Tasha continued as the Time Lords looked up at her.

"They'll come in peace if they do," Evy tried to argue.

"It doesn't matter," Tasha shook her head, "They will be met with a war that will never end. The Time War will begin anew! You _know_ that!"

Evy swallowed and looked down at the TARDIS, the TARDIS that was disappearing right at that very moment, taking her sons and Clara away, away from the danger, away...away from THEM...and she felt a tear fall from her eye...

For all they knew...the TARDIS was taking them away forever, they might never get to see their son again...

Because this...this was Trenzalore.

This was the place they died.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy...J and Clara were sent away! O.O I'm really excited for this story, I can't wait to get the next chapter posted! ^-^ Lol, I hope you liked the bit of J the boyfriend ;)
> 
> And just a reminder, Evy's new incarnation is pictured (in my head) to be Famke Janssen (more from X-Men, with ginger hair) :) 
> 
> Next chapter...a shocking discovery is made about Evy and her regenerations, the Doctor's eyebrows get a makeover, and what's this? J and Clara are...breaking up?! O.O


	33. The Time of the Time Lords (Part 2)

J looked back down when the console beeped, "Is it done?" Clara looked at him.

"Um," he shook his head out of his thoughts, trying to ignore the terrible pit that had formed in his stomach as he recalled how…solemn his mother had looked, like…like she might not see him again, "Yeah, it's done."

"Good, come on!" Clara took his hand, and led him to the doors, rushing out them…only for them to stop short, seeing that they were standing right outside the complex of flats that she lived in.

"Oh no you don't!" J shouted, turning to run back to the doors, but they'd locked behind him, "Oi! Open up!"

"Hold on," Clara rushed over, "I've got a key…"

She had only just reached it, but the TARDIS was already fading away as she slipped it into the slot…and it disappeared completely…

~8~

The Doctor and Evy stood, staring up at Tasha, defiant, "They're asking for our help!" the Doctor called to the hologram of the woman floating in the sky.

"And if you give it, war will be the consequence," Tasha stated, "I will not that let that happen at any cost. Speak your name and this world will burn!"

Evy shook her head, "If we had a dime for every time we heard that," she muttered, "You've honestly got no idea who you're talking to do you?" she asked the woman.

"This planet is protected!" the Doctor declared, turning to ring a bell of the tower, calling a meeting of the two, "Come on," he took Evy's hand, the two of them running down the stairs and to the town center where the villagers were gathering to see what all the hullaballoo was about, all of them eyeing the man in the bowtie oddly as he stepped onto a platform with the ginger woman, "So you lot, a quick word, thank you. Spot of news…Christmas has a new sheriff and deputy," he grinned, "Hello everyone, I'm the Doctor."

"And I'm Evy," she nodded, "Trust us…you'll be just fine."

And with that, she looked up at Tasha's hologram and aimed her sonic, flicking it on and cancelling out the hologram as the woman glared down at them.

~8~

" _In the time that followed, the Papal Mainframe strove to maintain the peace between the Doctor and his enemies._ "

~8~

A sonic whirred as Evy stood at the edge of town, flashing her sonic at the tracks that were being made in the white snow that had fallen, cancelling out an invisibility cloak and revealing two Sontarans as they tried to sneak into the town. She watched, amused as the two began to bicker about it, as though they were still invisible despite her and the few townspeople around her staring right at them.

"Commander Skarr!" one of the Sontarans spoke to the other, "That's the detection warning. Our invisibility cloak is compromised!"

"What's wrong with it?" the other Sontaran glanced at the first, unable to really turn and look at his partner as he had no neck to do so with.

"I don't know I can't see it."

"Well it looks invisible to me," Skarr banked a fist on the side of it.

Evy shook her head as they froze, realizing that the noise had likely alerted the Papal Mainframe to their location, a fear that was confirmed moments later when a laser flashed down at the land, disintegrating the aliens.

"The Church of the Papal Mainframe apologizes for your death," a voice spoke after it, "The relevant afterlives have been notified."

Evy blinked at the sight of the ashes on the snow, before she turned to the people, "Done and done," she smiled at them, "Carry on."

~8~

" _As the days passed and the years, the Doctor and his Link stayed true to their word. On the fields of Trenzalore, they stood as protectors both of their own people and their new home._ "

~8~

Evy smiled as she finished writing a message on a mirror that the Doctor was holding before a Weeping Angel statue, trapping it with its reflection, 'With love, Evy and the Doctor' with a small smiling face after it, if just to taunt the Angel a bit.

"Ooh," the Doctor pouted at the message.

"What?" she walked over to him, taking his arm as he stepped away from the mirror, now on a stand, "What's that face for?"

"With Love?" he frowned, "I quite think I should be the only one you give love to, well, me and LJ."

Evy laughed, "Well then, love," she took his hands, walking backwards, "Come with me and I'll show you how very much I love you."

He blinked a moment, before grinning and rushing past her, pulling her along to the clock tower they'd made their home over the past few decades.

~8~

" _Over time the Doctor's enemies would find new, stranger ways to enter the town called Christmas._ "

~8~

A small boy wandered around the edge of town, a strip of fabric over his eyes as he was the Blind Man of the Bluff, his arms out wide, trying to get a feel for any of the other children who were meant to be near enough for him to try and find them, but it seemed they'd scampered off, "Are you there? Hello? Am I getting warm?" he paused as he felt the light get darker through the cloth and he knew that it meant he'd stepped just a bit past the town's borders, away from the lights of the two. He gasped, hearing the sound of stomping feet and pulled his blindfold off, staring up at the Cyberman but…a wooden one, before him, "There's another one!" he shouted, turning and running off into the town, sounding off any alarm he could, "There's another one! There's another one!" he rang a bell, one that was meant to call the others villagers to the plight, "There's another one! Miss Evy!" he ran for the clock tower, "Doctor! There's another one!"

"Incinerate!" the Cyberman called behind him, a flame thrower affixed to his arm as it blasted out at a small wagon that was set up in the middle of the town, "The Doctor and his Link are required."

But just then, the doors of the clock tower burst open, "Oi!" he half-yelled, half-hissed at the Cyberman, "Can you be quiet! My Link is trying to sleep!"

It was odd to say that, that Evy needed a nap when HE was the one of the two of them that appeared quite a bit older than her. He had…aged, or started to, his hair gray, his face wrinkling, his knee giving out from time to time, forcing him to walk with a cane. But, as he was older, the children seemed to gravitate towards Evy for their fun and games and him for their protection, the woman able to keep up with them more than he could. Evy still looked exactly as she had the moment she'd entered the town while he had gotten older. He understood, of course he did, why the children went for her, if they tried half the games with him as they did with her, he'd probably be laid up in bed injured. As a result, he got plenty of rest while the children tended to tire her out quite a bit.

He nodded as the Cyberman put his arm down and stood there to face him. He nodded, and pulled a toy out from his pocket, "There you go," he handed it back to a small boy, the one who had sent out the alerts, "There you go Barnable."

"Thanks," Barnable smiled up at him.

There was a sort of consensus about the fixing of toys and things…that they usually went to Evy. When the Doctor tried to fix things…they tended to explode later, not harming anyone, but just more of a shock and it left the toy in shambles for Evy to try and fix again. But Evy it seemed, sometimes her eyes hurt her, all the squinting and fixing and her glasses, and she'd get a rather bad migraine. She always got the toys fixed, and they were always stupendous! But they learned that when Evy napped it was either because she was dead tired or she had a terrible headache. In which case, THEN they went to the Doctor for tinkering.

Barnable though, he ALWAYS went to the Doctor, because the Doctor didn't just fix things, he upgraded them as well, added things to them that they'd never seen before in the town. And they were always MUCH more fun to play with…before they blew up.

"Working fine," the Doctor added, "Nice action. Don't leave it out in the rain again. Fixed the wheels and the anti-gravs."

Barnable blinked and started to grin excitedly, THAT was what he was talking about, "The anti-whats?"

"May have gone a bit far," the Doctor agreed, "Now then!" he stumbled a bit down the steps of the clock tower and headed towards the Cyberman, "What do we have today? Don't you move one step further," he pointed his cane at the creature, "Wooden Cyberman. Nice, like it. Low-tech doesn't set off the alarms upstairs," he frowned, hearing a whirr of machinery, like a weapon powering up, and quickly drew his sonic, flashing it at the wooden robot just as it lifted its arm to fire at him, freezing it, "Only bit of tech allowed in," he wiggled the sonic at it, grinning as the robot just stood there, "Evy and I got ours in before the truce. Now, I just sent an instruction to your firearm to reverse the polarity and fire out the back end. As were standing in a truth field, you will understand I cannot be lying. If you like," he held up the sonic once more, "You can scan my screwdriver, verify that's the signal I sent."

He smirked as the Cyberman's weapon turned on it instead, "Signal verified," it reported, before firing, blasting a hole right through its own chest.

The Doctor shook his head, his enemies were really dim weren't they? He supposed that was why they were so easy to beat half the time, "Yes, I probably should have mentioned…this doesn't work on wood!" he flicked the sonic before starting to head towards the wooden robot, "You send your friends up there a message from the Doctor. You tell them the Doctor and his Link stay," he shoved the Cyberman back with the end of his cane, watching it fall to the ground with a thump, before blowing on the end of his sonic, "Next."

~8~

" _With every victory the town celebrated._ "

~8~

"And there's me arm-wrestling a Draconian!" the Doctor laughed as he and Evy were surrounded by children, all trying to give them the pictures they'd drawn, their hearts tugging as they looked at the little ones, as they did every time the children came round, remembering their own little one and hoping he was alright, knowing he'd be safe in the TARDIS with Clara and his future self but…missing him terribly and wondering what was taking the TARDIS so long to get back to them.

"Yes," Evy took the picture sadly, tracing it, "I remember when that happened," she let her finger trace the crayon drawing, remembering the drawings the Doctor and LJ had done on the TARDIS walls.

She missed him terribly, her baby boy.

~8~

" _Despite all that time, the Doctor and Evy never forgot the lives they lived before…_ "

~8~

The Doctor and Evy stood in the back of a crowd, watching a puppet show go on, the two of them in puppet from, "Christmas is defended!" the puppet-Doctor cried as the puppet-Evy gave him a big smooch, making them laugh sadly.

LJ would have loved the puppet show.

~8~

" _And the people of the town came to love the man and woman who stayed for Christmas._ "

~8~

"You've got to BE the drunk giraffe!" the Doctor instructed to a small gaggle of children as they gathered in the center of town to celebrate the downfall of the latest invasion effort, the Cyberman, "You've got to commit!" he put his arms in the air and waved them from side to side, Evy laughing as she recalled the move from Amy and Rory's wedding, "Don't be cool guys. Cool is NOT cool."

"Cool is not cool!" the children repeated.

"And what's this dance called?" Evy headed over to them, a wide grin on her face.

"The Drunk Giraffe!" the kiddies laughed.

"The Drunk Giraffe!" the Doctor cheered, "Yeah it is! Merry Christmas. Give me a hug," he held out his arms…only for the children to run to him, nearly tackling him to the ground as they hugged him.

' _You do realize, I meant YOU, yes?_ ' the Doctor's voice called in her mind.

She smiled, ' _That I do, but…a hug from a child is the best of all._ '

' _I'd like to counter that,_ ' he remarked, hugging the kids before letting them go, ' _A hug from my Link tops all._ '

' _What about a hug from our son?_ ' she asked sadly.

His smiled faded just a bit, it had been…so long since they'd seen either version of their son, nearly 300 years, and not a day, not an hour, not a minute went by that they weren't thinking of him, but…sending him off with Clara had been the only thing they could do to protect him, both hims, from what they feared would be coming. They weren't expecting it to take so long for the TARDIS to come back and…it worried them, it made them afraid that something might have happened to the old box that was keeping her, that maybe something was happening to their sons.

But they tried their very best not to think about that.

' _Alright then,_ ' he conceded, ' _It's a tie, Link and son, both hugs are absolutely brilliant._ '

He stepped away from the children and made his way over to her, finally giving her the hug he'd been about to give her before the children had cornered him. Smiling as he felt her hug him tightly, feeling a warmth enter him as it always did when she hugged him. She had once said that this version of him was more affectionate, he had to say the same about this new her. She was always touching him or smiling at him, or hugging him, kissing him though was his favorite. But she was always doing that, being close to him, and he loved it so very much.

"Doctor!" a small voice called and they looked over to see a small boy rushing towards them through the crowd, "Miss Evy!"

"It's just Evy Barnable," she smiled at him. She'd tried to get the townspeople to call her just Evy, but they insisted on calling her 'Miss Evy' instead. The Doctor found it amusing that, in every incarnation, it seemed, she still disliked the formal titles.

"How's your father's barn?" the Doctor smiled at the boy.

"Miss Evy fixed the leak alright," Barnable nodded, "But he say after the work YOU did…that it's bigger on the inside now!"

"Shh!" the Doctor winked, "They'll all want…one…" he trailed off, he and Evy stiffening when they saw the TARDIS starting to blink into view before them, exactly where it had first set down centuries ago.

"What is it?" Barnable frowned, there was a weird noise sounding, "What's that noise?"

"Well," the Doctor let out a breath, "Where have you been for years?!" he called to the blue box, "Huh!"

"What's that? Is that another one?!"

"No, no," Evy patted him on the shoulder, "That's just our ship Barnable."

"Your what?"

"It's our TARDIS," the Doctor said, starting to frown himself when he saw something…odd in the front of the box, "That's how we got here in the first place."

"Does this mean you're leaving?" Barnable looked at them with wide eyes.

"Doctor…" Evy called instead, before realizing exactly what was wrong with the box the moment it solidified, "Oh my god!" she gasped, rushing over when she saw both J and Clara standing on the outside of it, gripping the corner of the TARDIS, Clara with one hand on the corner, her right holding the key in the lock, while J had his left arm around her tight, his right hand grabbing the other corner, "Captain! Clara!"

"What are you doing here?!" the Doctor shouted, they were NOT supposed to be there, they were supposed to be back at Clara's flat having Christmas dinner with the Oswalds, not…not back in Christmas!

"We…" Clara breathed, panting, her eyes wide, seeming a bit traumatized, "We were in space…"

J swallowed hard "We were in the Time Vortex," he stumbled off the back of the box, wincing as he tried to stretch, Evy steadying him, "Ouch," he cracked his neck, "No idea how Uncle Jack did it…"

"Well your uncle Jack died last time," Evy remarked dryly, "The TARDIS must have extended the shell…"

"No wonder..." the Doctor huffed, at Clara's side as he helped her stretch her arms as well, "No wonder she's late dragging you two around."

"You tricked us!" Clara gasped, stumbling away from them.

"We saved you," he corrected.

"You didn't even say goodbye!" she cried, tears in her eyes as J made his way over to her, Evy shaking her head and heading inside to check on LJ, she could practically hear the toddler crying and her hearts broke even more, having not heard that sound in so long.

"I'm FURIOUS with you both!" the Doctor pointed his cane at them.

"Well fine then," J rolled his eyes, moving an arm around Clara, "How about we just not speak to you then!"

"Oh..." the Doctor let out a frustrated noise, before striding over to them and hugging them both.

"Save a hug for this one," Evy called as she stepped out, LJ sniffling in her arms.

"Oh, come here boyo," the Doctor headed over to his baby son, taking him in his arms.

LJ just looked at him and blinked, "Old daddy!" before poking his cheek, seeing that the wrinkles were real.

"Yes boyo," he nodded, "That's what happens after 300 years."

J's eyes widened, "300 years!?"

~8~

Clara and J wandered through the base of the clock tower room, looking at the various pictures pinned up of the Doctor and Evy throughout the years, all the enemies they'd stopped in the centuries they'd been there. Ooh they hated the fact that they'd missed it, but they knew that Evy and the Doctor were likely hating it more than them. For them, it had only been mere seconds, hardly 3 minutes, for the Time Lords it had been nearly 3 centuries. Clara shuddered at that, J winding an arm around her shoulders to comfort her, she couldn't imagine going 3 centuries away from her child…

Not…not that she was thinking of children, no. Definitely not, no. She just…she could hardly imagine being away from J for 3 days let alone 3 centuries and the man was their SON! It had to be almost as bad for them to endure not just being way from J but from LJ too.

"Oh Doctor," Clara murmured, seeing a small bit of toys and pictures on a desk, "Fighting monsters…"

"And mum," J laughed, picking up one of the toys and flashing it with his sonic, able to pick up some traces of another sonic on it, "Fixing toys that dad breaks fighting the monsters."

"The turkey isn't done yet," the Doctor announced as he entered the room, his hand on the small of Evy's back as she walked in with LJ in her arms. The boy had been squirming quite a bit, wanting to be set down, but Evy refused after 300 years without holding her baby…she was NOT about to let him go just then.

"Should only take another hour or so," Evy remarked.

"Is it still asking the question?" Clara gestured at the giant crack in the wall that was still there.

"Oh never stops," the Doctor sighed.

"Do you two want to come upstairs with us?" Evy asked, "It's nearly sunrise."

"The light here lasts only a few minutes," the Doctor agreed, "You don't want to miss it."

J shrugged, "Why not?" and moved his hand to the small of Clara's back, leading her off after his parents.

~8~

The trio of Time Lords sat on a small bench on the top of the clock tower, Evy and the Doctor side by side with LJ perched on their laps between them, both with one hand around his middle to secure him as they held a stick with some marshmallows on the end of it, the Doctor with two, one for him and one for LJ. Across from the small fire they were roasting the treats over, sat J and Clara, their hands held between them, hidden from LJ by the flames of the tiny fire that was roaring before them, both with a stick and marshmallow in hand as well.

"So far we've been at a standoff," Evy told them, resting her head back against the wall behind them, looking up at the stars, "They can't attack us because we can let the Time Lords out at any time, and we can't leave otherwise they'll just get rid of the Time Lords by…"

"Blowing up the planet?" Clara guessed with a small smile, that seemed to be the favored method of things lately.

"Exactly," Evy nodded.

"Hey," the Doctor nudged her gently with his knee, "After all these years we've finally found somewhere that needs us to stick around," he winked at her, "A town called Christmas! Could've been worse."

She smiled at that, she was under the impression that Earth needed them to stick around, but that was besides the point. Earth had Torchwood and UNIT and Sarah Jane and even Donna to keep it safe, Christmas had just them, "Have you brought Handles?" Evy asked him.

"Yes, yes," the Doctor nodded, turning to pick up Handles from a bag he'd slung across his back on the way up, "Right, there you go buddy," he set the robotic head down on the other side of him, on a small pillow, "Comfy?"

Evy shook her head at him, he'd grown quite attacked to the Cyberhead over the last few centuries, much like he'd grown more and more attached to the new her. But she could tell that Handles was nearing his end. They'd been struggling to find the parts to sustain it. The wooden Cyberman had proven to be a bust as almost every single circuit and wire and bit of tech had truly been replaced with wood and the parts that weren't, weren't compatible to Handles. She'd managed to keep him going with a bit of sonic help and some improvisation but…he was just falling apart before them.

"Comfort is irrelevant," Handles stated.

The Doctor just shifted the Cyberhead to rest more in the center of the pillow, "How's that? Is that better?"

"Affirmative," Handles replied after a moment.

"You just take it easy buddy," the Doctor patted it on its head, "He's getting old," he explained to Clara and J who were eyeing him oddly, LJ having managed to take the Doctor's stick from him and was now poking the head with it as the Doctor gently took it back.

"I try to repair him as best I can," Evy sighed, "But there aren't really enough parts around here to manage it."

"Where do you get these then?" Clara held up her stick and marshmallow, it didn't seem like they were quite easily found in the town either.

"I have a supplier," the Doctor waved it off, "The pink ones are best," he looked at Evy, "They remind me of your blush."

She smiled at that, she'd discovered this her, while the last had been quite the teaser, seemed to be more of a teasee, she blushed quiet easily when the Doctor got started.

"I have developed a fault," Handles stated as his voice started to crack.

"Hey," the Doctor looked at it, "Don't you worry Handles, you're just dreaming. The sun's coming up very soon, you just hang on in there."

Evy, J, and Clara watched on sadly as Handles continued to repeat himself, his voice breaking down, seeing the Doctor grow more upset as the bot began to expire. They knew where his mind had gone, his own old age setting in. If a Cyberman, a robot that could exist and didn't truly need an organic host to continue, was shutting down…how much longer would it be before HE shut down as well.

"I have developed a...fault. I...I have developed a fault."

"Hey Handles," the Doctor picked up the head, moving it to his lap as Evy tugged LJ more onto hers, the toddler now aware something was upsetting his father, "Come on. Come on. One more dawn, you can do it. You've got it in you. Come on just hang on in there."

"Attention! Emergency! Atten..."

"Handles what is it? What's wrong?"

"Urgent action required! You must patch the telephone device back through the..." the Doctor swallowed as Handles' voice began to slow, "Console...unit…" before the light of his eyes blinked off.

"Doctor," Evy reached out and placed a hand on his shoulders, turning his attention to her, "I'm so sorry," she murmured.

He swallowed again and looked at Handles, closing his eyes and letting out a weary sigh, "Thank you Handles and well done," he whispered to the head, "Well done mate…"

"Ooh look," J cut in on the slightly awkward and very sad moment (though he was, to be honest, a tiny bit disturbed his father was mourning a Cyberman) and pointed to the sky, "Is that the sunrise?"

"Yeah," Evy nodded, standing with LJ balanced on her him, holding out a hand to help the Doctor up as well as they headed to the ledge of the tower, J and Clara joining them, to look out at the village as the light lit up the houses and the snow, it was just…beautiful.

"What do you think of our new place?" the Doctor joked.

"We come up here every morning," Evy smiled at the village below, "Just to catch a few moments of the light, to look at the village."

"Yes," the Doctor took her hand, "Remind ourselves of what it is we're protecting," he winked at her, not just meaning the village below but HER as well. The time in Christmas had made them both a bit pale, what with it being dark so often. The light…it truly captured Evy, made her look enchanting with her ginger hair ablaze, her grey eyes sparkling in the dawn, reflecting a bit of light off her glasses…she was just…breathtaking.

"It's beautiful," Clara admitted, smiling at the sight.

"Pretty!" LJ agreed.

But J, on the other hand, had something else on his mind, "Why did you send me away?" he looked at his parents, "I mean, Mini-Me I get," he nodded, "But why ME? Why Clara? It's not like you would have buried us here, we're not human and…"

"We needed you safe," Evy told them, "Neither you nor LJ would have gone to the TARDIS without Clara, and she wouldn't have gone there without both of you. We needed the three of you to go, we needed the three of you to be safe because…" she sighed, "We didn't know what would be coming, how bad it would be, and…"

"And we didn't want you to get stuck here," the Doctor finished.

"We wouldn't have," J countered, "Because we wouldn't have been outside the TARDIS, we wouldn't have made it so YOU were stuck here either."

"Everyone gets stuck somewhere eventually boyo," the Doctor replied, "Everything ends."

"Except you," Clara murmured, "Except us."

"Have you seen me?" the Doctor let out a small, almost bitter laugh, "I'm an old man now," he held out his arms for them to see, as though they hadn't noticed that already.

"But we don't die. We change. We…we pop right back up with a new face. I saw all yours, both of yours…" she looked between him and Evy.

"Captain?" Evy looked at him, all of them seeing that Clara had forgotten a principle fact of their biology, not that they blamed her, she had an awful lot of knowledge in her mind from her various echo-selves, it was bound to have something get lost in translation.

"We CAN live forever," J nodded, "If we don't encounter some sort of accident and regenerate. Like…" he tried to think of how to explain it, "Like you and I, after our 21st year, we can stop aging. We stop aging and we don't age for the rest of our lives…if we don't regenerate. We'd stay the same forever."

"But if we DO regenerate," Evy continued, "We can only do so 12 times…for 13 incarnations. You see?"

"But he's number 11," Clara frowned, recalling that now.

"Are we forgetting Captain Grumpy eh?" the Doctor smiled sadly, "I didn't call myself the Doctor during the Time War but it was still a regeneration."

"Ok so you're 12 number then."

The Doctor swallowed and looked away, making J frown, "Dad…" he began, "What aren't you telling me?"

Evy took a breath, "I got hurt," she told them quietly, even LJ looking up at her intently for that, "I…a Dalek got through and…" she shrugged, "It fired at me, it hit me but…it also hit the Doctor too. He thought I was going to die."

"Why would he think that?" Clara frowned.

"13," she gestured to herself, "Remember, I was 11, but…I regenerated when we tried to escape the painting. Then I was 12 but…we found out there was that extra version of me during the war…" she shrugged, "I was 13. Or…or so the Doctor thought."

He nodded, "I forgot about the Crucible."

J frowned at that before his eyes widened, "Oh my god!"

Clara blinked and shook her head, "What about the…the Crucible was it?"

J turned to Clara, "The Daleks stole the Earth once and, when mum and dad went to help, mum got hit by a Dalek. She started to regenerate but pushed the energy into a spare hand that dad had lying around…"

"He had a spare ha…" Clara cut herself off, "No, not going to ask," she really DIDN'T want to know, "So…what happened.

"She pushed the regeneration energy into the hand and healed herself, she stayed how she was, but…that WAS a regeneration then?" he looked at his mother, "But…how?! That means…that means YOU'RE number 14 then!"

Evy nodded, "It did and I am."

"But how?" Clara repeated J's question, it should have been impossible.

"During the War, in the last stretch of it, the High Council gave select members of the regular Council an extra set of regenerations. I have 13 more."

"So share them with him!" Clara pointed at the Doctor.

"I can't," Evy sighed, "I would, believe me I would…but…Rassilon forbid us to do that, for anyone. It was a condition of the extra cycle, it was just for us. He couldn't risk those of us that were deemed essential to the Council to give up our lives all willy nilly," the Doctor laughed a bit at that phrase, "Our extra lives are just for us, it's impossible for me to gift them. Too impossible for even ME to do it."

"And…the Dalek?" J looked at the Doctor, guessing what happened, "You tried to heal her with your regeneration energy, didn't you?"

The Doctor nodded, "I panicked, I saw her on the ground, I didn't see regeneration setting in, but…I saw MINE happening. So I sent her my energy, thought I could heal myself and her at the same time but…" he swallowed, "Well, I did. I did heal us both but…"

"But you used up a regeneration," J finished.

"Yeah."

Evy looked down, feeling SO guilty about that, she'd tried to warn him, tried to tell him that she would be alright, that she had regeneration energy to spare, that she'd just…regenerate again and have had the shortest time on record in her new body, but…he'd siphoned his energy to her before she could do so. It hadn't been till afterwards, when he was kneeling beside her…that he remembered the last time they'd been in that position, no, not in the painting, but in the Crucible…when he'd remembered her near regeneration…and realized she was really on her 14th life.

And by then it had been too late.

"Hey," she heard the Doctor speak as he reached out and turned her head to him, "I would give every single life I have, willingly, in half a heartsbeat, for you," he told her, "I'd do so happily, and I did," he smiled at her, stroking her cheek, "I'd do it again."

She nodded, but…she still felt so terrible. If only Rassilon hadn't put that stupid clause in it…she would have used her regenerations on him, split it evenly between the two of them. But…she tried, she really had…the energy could barely be brought to the surface to heal a paper cut that was how deeply programmed the energy was. She couldn't gift it to him and she couldn't siphon it off to him mid-regeneration either. It was a lose-lose situation either way. She couldn't help him if she died. And…when he finally died…she would be in hell once more, she would be in so much pain that she'd end up…

She swallowed hard and looked down, not wanting to think about what she'd be forced to do to escape that torment.

The Doctor nodded to himself, knowing where her mind had gone and looked at the solemn J and the tearful Clara, "So you see…the equivalent of 12 regenerations. I can't ever do it again. This…" he looked out at the village, "This is where I end up."

"Where WE end up," Evy reached out to take his hand.

"We," he agreed, knowing better than to argue with her after so long, "This face," he continued, "This version of me. We saw this planet in the future remember? All those graves...one of them ours."

"Change the future!" Clara demanded.

"They can't," J breathed, just…confused…this…this wasn't meant to be happening.

His father, his father LIVED, his father lived past this…he was sure of it. He had memories of it. He remembered HIS mother and father, but…time could be rewritten. Maybe…maybe his being there, maybe the things that happened because he had stayed would…change it? Maybe he'd made it worse this time. He didn't know he just…he knew his father was dying, it seemed of old age, which he knew shouldn't really be happening if not for a combination of his the stress of the near regeneration. It was an odd occurrence on Gallifrey, something of an enigma as to why it happened. But when a Time Lord was regenerating into their last life, if they siphoned off their energy elsewhere, for whatever reason, it triggered the aging process once more. It was like...like their bodies were interpreting the giving up of the regeneration energy to mean that they didn't want to use it...and so their bodies didn't, their bodies saw that as the person in question not wanting to be saved, no wanting to stay young and youthful and began to age again. And now...it had happened to his father, when he'd siphoned off the last of his regeneration energy into his mother.

His father was dying and he was truly afraid for the future and how it would change when that happened, when his father died and his mother suffered for it. What would happen to him? To LJ? What would his life be like? He didn't want to imagine it. But…if the future was changing…he had better be prepared for it. Because his life was about to get infinitely worse.

"Tardy!" LJ looked up as his parents, pleadingly, understanding all too well what was happening.

"They've got the TARDIS back though," Clara turned to J, agreeing with LJ.

"But they wouldn't just fly off and leave everyone," J looked at his parents, "That's not them."

"No," the Doctor agreed.

"I know that," Clara rolled her eyes, getting frantic. It…it was HER job to keep them safe, that had been the point of her, the girl who was born to save the Time Lords and yet…here she was, failing, "But you've both been protecting this town for over 300 years. Do you not think it's anybody else's go yet?"

"Who?" Evy smiled at Clara gently for the girl's drive to help them, "You two?" she looked between them, "We couldn't ask you to spend the rest of your lives, of your other lives, here just because we left," she shook her head, "We couldn't do that to you. We wouldn't do that to you."

"Well it can't be you forever," Clara continued to argue as J turned and looked silently out at the village, lost in thought, "It'll end the same way whatever you do."

"Every life we save is a victory," the Doctor told her wisely, "Every single one."

"What about your lives?" Clara asked, tears in her eyes, "What about the Cap'n's?" she sniffled, "You do this…what future will you be making for him? Send him away or keep him here, you'll be changing his future…and not for the better. Please," she whispered, "Just…for once, after all of this time, have you not earned the right to think about that?"

"Clar," J looked at her, giving her a shake of the head.

She let out a breath, wiping beneath her eye, realizing she was trying to guilt them, using J as a weapon to do so, and that wasn't right. It was never right to use someone's child against them, "Sorry. Wrong thing to say. We shouldn't be having an argument."

"Clara we've been having that argument with ourselves for the last 300 years," Evy told her.

"But you didn't have your TARDIS," she pointed out.

"Ah!" the Doctor laughed, "Yes, well, that made it easier to stay. True."

"Doctor!" a voice suddenly boomed, making them all jump, "Evy!"

They turned to see a hologram of Tasha Lem appear in the sky above them, "Oh!" the Doctor rolled his eyes, "Look who's woken up!"

"The Church of the Silence requests parlay. Your rights and safety are sanctified."

He sighed, "We'll be right up."

"I'm sending a transporter."

"It's alright," Evy called, "We've got the TARDIS back."

The hologram nodded and disappeared, seeming to take the last of the light with it, "It's gone dark," Clara frowned.

"Well the sun's gone down," the Doctor countered.

"Already?"

"Everything ends Clara. And sooner than you think," he swallowed, moving to take Evy's hand as they headed down the stairs for the TARDIS, him pausing when he caught sight of something peeking out from behind it. He looked at Evy who nodded.

"Come on," she called, moving to open the TARDIS, running her finger down the lock as the door clicked open, "She still likes me then," she smiled, pleased to know that, before pushing the doors open, allowing J and Clara in, her stepping in with LJ after them, leaving the Doctor to deal with Barnable, who she knew was hiding behind the TARDIS.

"Are you guarding my TARDIS Barnable?" the Doctor asked as he came to lean on the corner of it, looking down at the boy as he stood.

"Are you and Evy coming back?" the boy asked him.

"Oh come on. You know me," he winked.

Barnable nodded, "I'll wait."

He smiled sadly at that, recalling another little human who had waited for him, silently making a promise not to disappoint this one too, before he headed into the TARDIS.

~8~

Clara frowned as they entered the main hall of the Papal Mainframe, spotting Tasha Lem at the end of an aisle stationed with various men, women, and aliens, the woman looking not a day older than the last time they'd seen her, "She hasn't aged much."

"No," the Doctor agreed, "She's against it."

"Approach!" Tasha called to them when she saw them pause at the end of the aisle.

"Confess…" Evy frowned as she looked to the side, seeing the Silence there.

"Those are the…Silence yeah?" Clara frowned at them, trying to keep them in sight.

"Confess…"

"Confessional priests," the Doctor explained, "Very popular. Genetically engineered so you forget everything you've told them."

"Right," Clara looked ahead, "And let me guess, they order you to confess and you do it?"

He nodded…only for J to frown, "You remember that?"

Clara looked at him, "Yeah?"

"No, no, I mean…you remember the Silence?" he looked at her intently.

She blinked, "Ooh…that's weird," she looked at him, "How come I remember them?"

"You remember all your echo-lives," Evy shrugged, "Maybe because of that?"

"Impodible!" LJ cheered.

Evy laughed, nudging Clara, "Or perhaps because you're an Impossible Girl too?"

Clara smiled at that, only for it to fade when a rather stone faced Tasha simply turned and led them off, striding out of the room without another word to the gathered men and women, leaving them little choice but to follow.

~8~

The Doctor peered into a box stationed before him as he sat at the end of a table in Tasha's quarters, LJ on his lap, Evy standing behind the chair, her hands on his shoulders as she leaned over to look at the box full of marshmallows. She glanced up to see Clara and J sitting in the middle of the table, across from each other, as Tasha sat at the end of it, watching them.

"Satisfactory?" the woman asked, nodding at the box.

"Where are the pink ones?" the Doctor frowned as he handed LJ a marshmallow to chew on.

"E-numbers."

"Nice," Evy smiled, approving, "You are rather a bit hyper as it is Doctor," she added.

"You love my hyperness though," he smiled up at her.

She nodded, leaning in to kiss him, "That I do," she whispered, giving him a peck.

"So is this really what you do?" Clara looked between them, "In the middle of a siege, you're just having little chats?"

"She's right," Tasha nodded, "This situation cannot continue."

"Well it's not like it can end either," J remarked.

Tasha let out a long breath, sitting back in her chair, nearly seeming like she was slumping back, "Why did you ever come to Trenzalore?" she shook her head at the Time Lords, trying to work it out.

"Well we did come to Trenzalore and nothing can change that now," the Doctor stated.

"Though that didn't really seem to stop you from trying, did it?" Evy gave Tasha a knowing look.

Oh they'd worked it out while they'd been on Trenzalore, exactly what was going on with the Church. As soon as word had reached them that the church had been renamed for the Silence, it all fell into place. At some point during the 300 years they'd been on the planet, Kovarian had been born and raised and joined the church and seen what was happening. She had decided to take…rather extreme measures to try and keep the events from happening, to keep the endless and bitter war she interpreted to be their enemies attacking them relentlessly, from happening. She'd gone back in time and all the events that led there, the cracks, River, Demons Run, the Lake…all of it had been an attempt to kill them, to keep them reaching Trenzalore.

Kovarian failed to realize the paradox in that. Had she succeeded in going back in time, in killing them and them not going to Trenzalore, she would never have needed to go back in time to prevent it and, in one version of reality they WOULD go to Trenzalore…and the loop would start again. It was the same reason River hadn't said anything about the spacesuit when they'd gone to America. If they stopped the suit then, before whoever was in it could kill him at the lake, they would never have needed to go back in time as the Doctor wouldn't have died at the lake. It was all very confusing and quite a big headache, but it was all in the past anyway…literally.

"Not me," Tasha reminded them, "The Kovarian Chapter broke away," she stated, making J stiffen at that, "They travelled back along your timeline and tried to prevent you ever reaching Trenzalore."

"So that's who blew up our TARDIS," the Doctor murmured, glancing up at Evy, "I thought I'd left the bath running."

"They blew up your time capsule and created the very cracks in the universe through which the Time Lords are now calling."

"That's a Destiny Trap within a paradox," Evy blinked, "Where you can't change history if you're part of it," she hummed, "You don't see that much nowadays."

"They engineered a psychopath to kill you…"

"Oi!" J glared at her, "River isn't a…well…" he winced and rubbed his neck, "Yeah, she sort of is a psychopath, but she got better!"

"She did," Evy agreed, "We would have died a few times over if not for her," she looked over at Clara, "If not for you as well Clara."

Clara smiled a bit at that, "Just…doing my job."

"I am not interested in changing history," Tasha cut in, "I want to change the future. The Daleks send for reinforcements daily, they are massing for war. Three days ago they attacked the Mainframe itself."

"They attacked here?" the Doctor frowned, and even LJ who had been eating as many marshmallows as he could get away with while his parents were distracted, paused at that.

"Tasha…" Evy stiffened, "How did you stop them?"

"Stop them?" Tasha shook her head, "It was slaughter!"

"Why didn't you call us?" the Doctor frowned at her, "We could have helped!"

"I tried! I died in this room screaming your name!"

The four of them stiffened.

"Uh oh…" LJ stated, entirely too serious for a baby.

"No…" the Doctor slowly stood, pushing the chair back and backing away from Tasha as J and Clara did the same.

"Oh..." Tasha blinked, "I died. It's funny the things that slip your mind…" her words were cut off as she suddenly gasped and fell forward onto the table, twitching and shaking.

"No!" the Doctor turned and handed LJ to Evy, taking only a few steps towards Tasha, "No, no, no, Tasha no, please…fight it. Tasha _fight it_!"

But it was too late…Tasha sat up stiffly, a Dalek eyestalk now sticking out of her head.

They all ducked down, jerking back when the doors were suddenly blown off their hinges as the Daleks rolled in, "Step away from the Dalek unit Doctor and Evy!" they ordered.

Evy reached out and took the Doctor's hand, tugging him back as she glanced around the room for a backup plan…smiling when she spotted the teleport in the back. She glanced back at the Daleks and then Tasha as she stood, ' _Theta,_ ' she called to him silently.

"You shouldn't even know who we are!" the Doctor cried, before glancing back at Evy.

' _What is it?_ ' he asked her.

"Information concerning the Doctor and his Link was harvested from the cadaver of Tasha Lem."

' _Distract them,_ ' she told him, starting to make her way back, towards the teleport.

"Bet she never told you how to break the Trenzalore force field though," the Doctor smirked, "She'd have died first."

' _No problem at all,_ ' he agreed.

"Several times."

The Doctor's smirk fell, "Well," he swallowed, "You'd better kill me then, go on," he held out his arms, inviting them to do it.

' _I didn't quite mean like THAT,_ ' Evy huffed.

' _Well then, best hurry don't you think?'_ he inwardly smirked, swearing he could feel the eye roll she was giving him.

"But," he continued, "Before you do..." he pulled out the sonic and flashed it up, turning the soft 3-note sound that had been playing faintly in the background into the 2-word question.

"Doctor who? Doctor who? Doctor who?"

He grinned, "I'm a tough old bird," he reminded them.

"Oh he'll be ages dying," J grinned, seeing what his parents were doing, how his mother was already in the back, by the teleport without being noticed, reaching out a hand to tug Clara closer to him, "More than enough time to answer a simple question," he laughed, "And if he doesn't…well, ANY of us can," he gestured at the three of them.

It wasn't quite true, but in a way it was. There was only one time a Time Lord could share their name with someone else, someone who was non-Time Lord. But there was nothing saying Time Lords couldn't exchange their names freely. It was common knowledge on Gallifrey, that everyone knew everyone's name. It would be madness not to. When his father had said that to River in the Library, it had been because he'd thought she was human at the time, that there was only ONE time he could have told the human her his name. But River was really Time Lord (partly) and that didn't apply anymore.

"And, oh dear," the Doctor smirked, "What happens then boys?"

"You will die in silence Doctor," one of the Daleks stated, "Or your associate will die!"

J turned and pulled Clara to him just as Tasha had reached her and reached out for her, "You touch her and I will tear you apart piece by bloody piece," he threatened the Dalek, holding Clara close, one arm around her, not caring at the moment what his younger self saw or thought, though it would probably be just that he was trying to protect his father's friend, his companion, from harm.

"Ooh, you see that Tasha?" the Doctor looked at the woman who was just standing there blankly, "You see the fight in him? That's my boy!" he cheered, "He's younger than you and he's got more bravery, more heart. Oh I always knew you were a bit spineless, you and your pointless church! Why did I ever rely on you? Never trust a woman to do a MAN's job…"

He ducked down suddenly as Tasha turned and held out a hand, where a Dalek laser was sticking out, firing at the Daleks that had entered the room, taking them all out.

"And she's back!" the Doctor laughed, standing up, "High-five!" he held up a hand only to wince and pull it back as she held up her Dalekfied hand, "Right, best not…"

"Tasha," Evy called from the teleport, "I've got it all set but we need your activation code."

"Can't you hack it?" J asked as they ran over.

Evy smiled, "Oh I could," she nodded, "But it would take me twice as long with one hand," she nodded at LJ in her arms, the boy trying to lean over and push the buttons, any button, "And I'd have to reverse his attempts at the same time…"

"Here," the Doctor took his son, "Better?"

"Do you need me to help?" Clara asked, eager, it had been AGES since she'd hacked into anything.

"Not anymore," Evy nodded, "Because it really WOULD be faster if Tasha would just…" she gestured at the controls.

The woman nodded, rushing to them, "Back to the TARDIS?" she glanced at the coordinates before shaking her head, it was not the time, "You need to hurry," she gestured at the teleport units, ushering them in, "The Dalek inside me is waking…"

"Fight it," the Doctor called, holding the curtain to the side for Evy to get in, J and Clara in the other one.

"I can't," Tasha murmured quietly.

The Doctor turned to her from where he'd been getting in, "Listen to me," he told her firmly, "You have been fighting the psychopath inside you all your life. Shut up and win. That is an order Tasha Lem."

"Win!" LJ cheered, "Win Tasha!"

The woman smiled a bit at the baby and nodded, "I'll try," she swallowed, before turning back to the controls, "The force field will hold for a while but it will decay and there are breaches already…" she warned.

"So," J popped out from his curtain to look at them, "The siege is over," he looked at his father meaningfully, "The war's begun."

The Doctor nodded, solemn, "It's all up to you now," he looked at Tasha, "Fight the Daleks inside and out. You can do it, I know you can."

"Oh I see," Tasha nodded, "You really HAVE got your TARDIS back haven't you? Time to fly away?"

"Tasha please..." the Doctor shook his head, "Please. Thank you."

Tasha rolled her eyes, "None of this was for you, you fatuous egotist. It was for the _peace_. Fly away Doctor! You, your Link, and your son," she looked at the trio, "Fly away, as fast as you can…"

And with that, she hit a button, teleporting them out and into their TARDIS.

~8~

The Doctor and J were standing by the console, both men silent, side by side as they 'worked' on piloting the box, glancing at each other, as though having a silent conversation as Evy watched them, placing LJ in his playpen, but not without a gentle kiss to his forehead, smiling as he wiped at it with his hands, crying "Ick!"

The Doctor looked over when he heard a small ding, "It's done."

"What is?" Clara looked at him from where she'd been fiddling with a side-control.

"The turkey," Evy remarked, walking over to the console to join her boys.

"Either or that or it's woken up," the Doctor joked.

"Do you want some?" she asked them, heading down into the underconsole.

"Go on then."

"Got any plates?"

"Do you know we've even got Christmas crackers!"

"One thing," Clara moved back to them, "I want you both to look me in the eyes," she looked at the Doctor and Evy, "Look me in the eyes so I know you're not lying and tell me, 'cos the Cap'n won't ever ask you, but…tell me you will never send me or him away ever again."

The Doctor smiled, "Clara Oswald...we will never send you away again."

"We promise," Evy crossed her hearts, thankful Clara didn't seem to notice how sad their smiles were.

"Brilliant," she smiled, before turning to dash off, "Turkey smells good!"

"Yeah," J called, his voice thick as he watched her go, "It smells wonderful."

Clara looked back at him a moment, beaming at him…before she disappeared below the steps…and J closed his eyes, steeling himself for something before he turned and grabbed a lever on the console, pulling it…

"Oh it's perfect," Clara grinned as she pulled the turkey out and headed up to the console once more, "Merry Christ…mas," she blinked, looking around only to see no one was there…no one by LJ, who looked near tears, "Cap'n?" she frowned, spinning in a circle, "Doctor?" she moved to set the turkey down, heading over to LJ and picking him up, "Where did your mum go eh?" she glanced at the doors and headed for them, stepping out…only to slow to a stop when she saw she was right before her flat complex once more…

She had only just turned around, ready to run back to the TARDIS…but it had already disappeared, "No…" she let out a breath…realizing…

J wasn't with her…

He'd stayed with his parents…

He was about to fight in a war with them…

And she was trapped on Earth.

"Please…" she breathed, feeling tears in her eyes as LJ clung to her, the poor boy worried as the 'Tardy' disappeared, his parents and his future self nowhere to be seen.

"No…"

~8~

"Are you SURE about this Sigma?" Evy asked as she and J stood in the snow, watching as the TARDIS appeared once more, the Doctor standing a few feet behind, speaking with Barnable.

J swallowed and nodded, "She's died in a war once before," he said, his voice thicker than before, tears in his eyes that he refused to let fall, "I won't let her die again."

Evy reached out and took his hand, knowing that this was going to be the hardest thing he'd ever do. To have found your Link…and then attempt living without them? It was one of the hardest things you could ever do. She had only managed it for all those centuries because hers was a partial Link, the Doctor…he'd barely made it 200 years and he'd been a wreck. She could only hope her son knew what he was doing in this.

"It's for the best," he nodded, sounding more like he was trying to convince himself than anyone else.

~8~

" _And so, to the fields of Trenzalore came all the Time Lord's enemies. For this was the winter of the Doctor, his Link, and his son. In time when all other races had retreated or burned, only the Church of the Mainframe remained in the path of the Daleks. And so those ancient enemies, the Time Lords and the Silence, stood back to back on the fields of Trenzalore…_ "

~8~

Clara sat despondently at the table of her sitting room, her father to her left, LJ to her right, unable to bear being away from the little boy who was her future Link, the boy himself quieter than she had ever heard him. Her Gran was to LJ's right, smiling and trying to cheer the boy up while her Aunt Linda sat to her father's left, rolling her eyes at her Gran's antics.

"Merry Christmas everyone," her Gran held a small toy at LJ, trying to tempt him with it, but the boy just looked down, sniffling, "Merry Christmas everyone."

"Other fish in the sea, that's what I'm saying," her aunt shrugged, making Clara close her eyes and wince at how…callous that sounded.

Honestly, her entire family had no idea, no idea at all just how important J was to her. None of them could even begin to comprehend how much she loved him. None of them had a clue how…how big a part of her life he was. She just…he was her everything, like she was his. And to even entertain the thought that there was anyone out there that could even compare to him…it was terrible, it was impossible, it was more impossible than she and Evy combined.

"Linda," her father sighed, seeing her wince, "I don't think Clara wants to talk about it…"

They all thought she'd been dumped. They'd assumed as much when she'd walked back into the flat not 5 minutes after she'd left with J and his family, sans turkey, with LJ, and nearly in tears. They'd assumed that J had broken up with her and that Evy and the Doctor had left LJ with her as they went to try and talk him out of the breakup. Or at least that's what she hoped they'd think of LJ. She hadn't explained, how could she? How could she tell them that the real reason she was upset was because her alien boyfriend who was as close to a soul mate as she'd ever get had gone to war and kept her on Earth to protect her?

Oh she'd worked it out. The moment the TARDIS had disappeared, she knew what he'd done. It had been his greatest regret when she'd become a Time Lady once more, that he hadn't been there for any of her lives, save the Asylum and Victorian London, to be there for her when she died, to SAVE her. She saw it in his mind at times, the regret, that he hadn't been able to save her on Gallifrey, even though he hadn't even been a twinkle in his parents' eyes at the time, even though his parents hadn't even properly met! He hated that she had died so often, it was why he was so driven and determined to see her safe on their adventures, why he always stepped in the way of dangerous things meant for her. It was his way of trying to make up for that, for 'failing her' as he believed he had.

And now he'd done it again.

He'd gone to war…so she wouldn't have to.

"I've got a suggestion that's all," her aunt defended, "I've got a _list_ of suggestions."

"Linda..." her father shook his head.

"You could make a boy band out of my list!"

"I hate boy bands," Clara murmured, and she did…she didn't want a boy band, she just wanted J.

"Of course you don't, not at your age."

Gran looked down at the card of a cracker she'd just pulled with LJ, trying to cheer the boy with a prize or a joke…but all there was was a single card that was neither, "These crackers are rubbish."

"I bought them," her aunt narrowed her eyes at her mother.

"I know."

"They're classy."

"They don't have jokes."

"Exactly."

"They've got poems."

Clara closed her eyes at that, J…sometimes, when they'd cuddle at night, he'd recite poetry to her. Her favorite one to hear was 'O Captain, My Captain' because of him. He always got so annoyed when she asked him to recite it, but she could tell he was secretly pleased that it was her favorite, that HE was her favorite. But he'd recite so many things, Shakespeare, Frost, Elliot, and even some alien poets. Oh she couldn't count how many times she'd fallen asleep to the sound of his voice reciting love poetry in her ear…

She felt tears come to her eyes at that, at that reminder that…if anything happened to him…well, she knew what it meant for her but…her hearts broke at the thought of him even getting a paper cut! Imagine if he'd been injured but…she hadn't felt it, she hadn't felt any sort of serious injury, so…he was safe for now.

She could see it in her mind, it was like…she saw his entire day in brief little snippets, every few seconds she sort of got this vague image in her mind of him and then she just…felt like she knew what had happened to him for that day or week. Evy had explained it to her once, the Link, how it worked with time differences. Their minds were always connected, no matter what. She always knew what he was doing and vice versa. Evy had told her about a time once when the Doctor had left her on Earth for 2 weeks, but it had been 200 years for him. She'd explained how every few seconds an entire day of the Doctor's life sort of 'downloaded' into her mind and was just sort of absorbed. It was exactly like what her mind was doing now and…given how many images happened so frequently…she was starting to fear how many years, decades, or centuries were passing for J.

"They're more dramatic crackers," her aunt continued.

"I like the jokes," her Gran stated, "I wanted to tell one to the boy."

"Like he could understand you," her aunt scoffed.

"LJ's brilliant," Clara defended, before looking at her Gran, "Tell us a joke Gran. You know loads of jokes."

"I think were probably talking about my list now."

"Probably not," Clara countered, not even looking away from her Gran as LJ moved to climb onto her lap, her winding her arms around the little boy.

"Tell us how you met dad," her father suggested, "The thing about the pigeon."

Gran smiled as she thought back on that moment, "I saw him on a pier on a rainy day."

"Not that one! The one about the pigeon!"

But Gran waved him off, "I'd seen him before lots of times. But he just looked so beautiful standing there."

"The pigeon in the restaurant? You remember?"

She sighed, that was their first date, that wasn't the day she met him, "I wanted everything to stop," she looked at Clara, seeing the girl watching and listening intently, "I wanted nothing to change ever again, if he could just keep standing there, so beautiful..." she smiled sadly, fiddling with her ring, "A long time ago…" Clara suddenly reached forward and hugged her tightly, tears falling from her eyes, that was…that was exactly how she felt about J, "Don't hug me so tight dear, you'll break something," her Gran joked.

"Oh that's nice," her aunt just had to remark, "Crying at Christmas."

"Sorry," Clara sniffled as she pulled away, about to wipe her eyes only for LJ to stand up in her lap and brush them off with his small hands.

"No cry Clara," he told her, trying to smile, wanting her to feel better even though he was still very sad and worried about his parents.

"Thanks LJ," she nodded, hugging the boy close. She looked up suddenly when she heard a VERY familiar wheezing noise. She leapt to her feet, LJ still in her arms and ran to the window, looking out to see the TARDIS appearing in the courtyard! She gasped and turned, running off, grabbing a Christmas Cracker to whack someone with and headed for the doors.

"Clara?" her father called, making her wince and turn back, "What's wrong Clara?"

"Everybody just…stay put!" she called, before rushing out once more. She had debated…momentarily…whether to take LJ with her, but she couldn't bear the thought of the tears in the boy's eyes appearing again if she kept him from his parents once more.

She ran down the stairs, flying across the courtyard and into the TARDIS…stopping short…

When she saw J at the controls, "Clar…" he breathed, staring at her, the two of them just…staring at each other really, not moving.

He looked the same, exactly the same, his clothes weren't even singed, he looked just as he'd left her…but his eyes…they were older, and that broke her hearts. She swallowed hard and walked up to the console, but turned to the side, avoiding him as she moved to put LJ in his playpen, pausing to take a breath, before she turned back to J. Her expression hardened and she stormed over to him.

"What. Were. You. Thinking?!" she demanded, whacking him on the arms and chest with the cracker with every word.

"I'm sorry," he reached out, taking her hands to stop her hitting him, and tugged her to the side, hiding her behind the console rotor so LJ couldn't see them, "I'm so sorry…"

He pulled her into his arms, crushing her against him in a tight hug, ' _I'm so sorry Clarana,_ ' she heard in her head, closing her eyes and feeling tears escape to hear him after what felt like centuries, ' _I couldn't do it…I couldn't risk you and then…I just couldn't keep going,_ ' he looked at her, tears of his own in his eyes, ' _I couldn't stay there, I couldn't stay away from you. How dad managed to do it, I don't know._ '

"Cap'n," she began, her voice shaky, wanting nothing more than for their moment to continue but…LJ, that little boy was just as important to her and…his parents, BOTH of them…had gone to war as well and she had no idea if they were ok, "What's happened to your parents?"

J swallowed, glancing to the side, at LJ who was stood in his playpen, looking at him with tears in his baby blues. He nodded, "We need to hurry," was all he said, heading to the console and putting in commands.

Clara frowned, but moved to the other side, doing all the non-location specific tasks, letting him pilot as she helped…

~8~

The trio stepped out of the TARDIS as it set back down in Christmas, LJ in Clara's arms. They were pretty sure that J holding himself wouldn't create a paradox, it wasn't like with Rose, where she'd gone back in time and changed the future and weakened it. Often paradoxes like that could sustain themselves, like when the two Amys had met during the Pandorica. But they couldn't be entirely sure if that was just because time was falling apart or not so they thought it was best to be safe and have Clara hold LJ for now.

"This way," J whispered, leading them through the town.

Clara was horrified and did her best to shield LJ from the sight, the city was under siege but a worse siege than the Doctor or Evy had been fighting before. It was like an all out war! J had explained it on the way, how the enemies of the Time Lords had all come to the planet, but luckily had started to fight each other instead of fighting the Time Lords. Which left them time and strength to pick off the enemies as they faced each other and to continue to defend the town. But it was clear from the state of it all that the town had suffered the onslaught. Even if it was still standing, to grow up in a war zone was a terrible thing. She could vaguely remember the Time War, fighting in it and, while she had no desire to fight a war again, she hadn't wanted J to have to fight in one either.

They stepped into the tower, to see the Doctor, now an old man, his hair white, his face wrinkled, sitting before the crack, Evy crouched down and gathering up some old toys. The Doctor glanced over, hearing the doors shut, "Captain?"

"Hey dad," J swallowed, seeing the state of his father, remembering it only now, seeing his father from his baby point of view, an old man. He'd seen his father regenerate, but...he didn't think that was possible now, something in the timelines had to have changed, because his father was out of regenerations, "Not just me though..."

"Hello Doctor," Clara murmured.

"Daddy!" LJ cheered, reaching out for his father, not caring if he'd aged, not seeing the wrinkles, but just seeing his father. Clara set him down and LJ scampered over to him, trying to climb up on his lap but not quite managing.

"Here," Evy walked over, scooping up their son, hugging him a moment as he cried, 'Mummy!' and hugged her too, before she set him on the Doctor's lap, smiling sadly at them.

"Ooh, boyo," the Doctor took LJ's hands, "Were you always so young?"

"No," J joked, "That was always you dad."

He smiled and kissed LJ on the head, scooting over for Evy to sit beside him, her linking her arm though his as LJ beamed at them. They could tell their son was relieved to see them, they knew they had to have worried the boy by sending him off with Clara once more, but...it was all they could do to protect him. They knew the war was coming, not just the siege and they couldn't bear the thought of raising LJ in a warzone. They had tried to argue against J even being there, but their older son was as stubborn as they were...times 10.

"I brought you something," Clara held up the Christmas Cracker, only for J to flinch back, "Stop it," she rolled her eyes at him.

"Be careful," he warned his parents, trying to make light of the situation, "That is a weapon of deadliness. A deadly weapon..."

"Hush," Clara muttered, before holding it out to the Doctor, "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," he smiled up at her, only to struggle to pull it, reminded of just how feeble he'd become in his old age.

"Let me," Evy reached out, putting her hand on his, helping him pull it.

He smiled at her, "Always there for me eh?"

She smiled back at him, "After you sent me away for 200 years...you couldn't get rid of me if you tried," she swore to him.

He reached out and gently touched her face, looking at her sadly, knowing his time was soon coming, that hers would follow...

"Joke!" LJ clapped, seeing a card in the cracker.

"Is there a joke?" the Doctor looked over, excited, "Huh?"

Clara frowned and read the card, settling down on the floor, J moving to lean on the wall, looking down at them all, "Extract from 'Thoughts On A Clock' by Eric Ritchie Junior."

"Is it a knock-knock one? Those are best."

"I don't think so," Clara smiled sadly.

"Go on," Evy nodded, "Give it a read."

"'And now it's time for one last bow," Clara read the card, "Like all your other selves. Eleven's hour is over now, The clock is striking twelve's.'"

Evy looked up at J as he smiled sadly, both of them realizing that 12's hour had already come and passed, there would be no next hour, because this...THIS was the final hour.

"I don't get it," the Doctor frowned, having been intently listening for a knock-knock joke of some sort.

"Clock bad," LJ pouted, explaining the gist of it to them.

"Doctor!" they all tensed, hearing a Dalek shout from outside the doors, "The Doctor and his Link will be brought! The Daleks demand the Time Lords!"

"They're here!" a young man gasped as he ran in from outside, reporting the status, "The Daleks, we can't stop them. They want you three..." he trailed off, frowning when he saw another woman and a baby there, not having a clue who they were.

Clara closed her eyes at that, realizing that enough time had passed for a generation to not know her. Barnable, the boy who had seen her appear outside the TARDIS with J was likely old and buried by now. No one in this town knew who she or LJ were...

"Oh alright Barnable," the Doctor sighed, not seeing the sad look in Evy's eyes, "Are you Barnable?"

"No," Evy reached out to take his hand, knowing how upset he got when he did things like that, when he forgot, when it was only all too obvious that his mind was going as well. Often the only thing he'd had to his name and credit at times, his mind, was starting to fail him too. It was like...the only thing he had left that hadn't left him...was Evy.

"It's ok Barnable," the Doctor called anyway, "Don't worry. I have a plan. Off you pop," he smiled until the door closed behind the boy as he left, before it fell.

"You haven't got a plan, have you?" Clara realized.

"No," he agreed, sighing wearily, "But people love it when I say that."

"What about you mum?" J looked at Evy, "A backup plan? Something?"

"I have a few," Evy nodded as she stood, helping the Doctor up, "But...none that we can use," she added sadly, "I'm sorry Captain...but...this is it."

J shook his head, unwilling to believe that, "There's got to be SOMETHING!" he argued.

"What are you going to do?" Clara looked at them, seeing Evy handing her LJ once more, and she knew it was serious. The last time they'd been separated, Evy hadn't let go of the boy...and now God knew how many years, decades, or centuries had passed and she was just...handing him over...it had to be terribly, TERRIBLY bad...

"Oh I don't know," the Doctor shrugged, "Talk very fast, hope something good happens, take the credit. That's generally how it works."

"And then I end up coming up with a brilliant backup plan to get us out alive long enough to take said credit," Evy smiled sadly, the two of them knowing that likely wouldn't happen.

"Dad..." J breathed.

"Daddy?" LJ frowned, sensing the solemn state his parents were in.

"We saw the future," the Doctor sighed, resigned, "This is how it ends."

"Change it!" J insisted, "Like Tasha said, change the future!"

"You know as well as we do Captain," Evy turned to him, "We could have, if the Time Lords were back...but there are Daleks outside, the one enemy to outlast the others, because they want to spill every single drop of Time Lord blood. We let them out," she nodded at the crack, "The Time War WILL start all over again," she shook her head, "We lost too much during it, we can't do it again."

"Locate the Doctor and Evy!" they heard the Daleks ordering.

"Which is why we need you to stay here," Evy looked at them.

"Why?" Clara shook her head, "If they're after Time Lords won't they know we're here?"

"No," the Doctor looked at them, "They'd sense them through the crack, and you've got the key," he looked at J, "The moment we..." he trailed off, "You get the TARDIS to home in on LJ, it'll get you back to your own TARDIS."

"Take him to Jack," Evy requested, one final plea to her son as he stood there, tears in his eyes, Clara gripping his hand in comfort as LJ looked at them with a quivering lip that nearly broke their resolve, "Please..." she smiled at them sadly, feeling tears in her own eyes, "That's all that matters to us, is that you three get out of here safely."

"One last victory eh," the Doctor gave them a tired, sad grin as well, "Give us that," he walked over to the three of them, hugging them tightly, dropping a kiss onto LJ's head as Evy came and did the same, "Thank you," he whispered to them, taking Evy's hand, "And goodbye," they turned to head for the doors, the Doctor quietly remarking to Evy, "The trouble with Daleks is...they take so long to say anything. Probably die of boredom before they shoot me."

"The Doctor and his Link are required!"

"Why aren't they asking for you too?" Clara looked at J.

J sighed, running a hand through his hair, and lifting up the TARDIS key around his neck, "Mum rigged up a Perception Filter, makes them all think I'm just another human so they wouldn't target me. They don't know I'm here."

"Bad!" LJ cried suddenly, pointing at the crack, "Bad! Send mummy and daddy away! Bad crack!"

J looked at it a moment, before glaring at it and storming over to it, crouching down before it, "You listen to me," he called into it, "You LISTEN. You help my dad, you help him and mum and change the future. Ok? You do that and...and...I dunno. I dunno what happens," he looked at Clara, if his parents didn't die there, she'd never be in the time tunnel, she'd never become a Time Lady or his Link but...looking at the crack...it meant the Time Lords were back, it meant things like that, changes to the past, something so instrumental could be sustained. His parents had only made it there, had only been alive to make it there because of Clara, and Clara had done what she had in the time tunnel to save them, the Time Lords would be forced to maintain that, to keep the changes Clara made even if they erased the grave of the Doctor and Evy, they'd HAVE to keep Clara the same, because it all focused around her, "Just...do something."

"Doctor!" he winced, hearing a Dalek shouted, "Evy!"

"You've been asking a question..." she spoke as well, "And it's time someone told you...you've been getting it wrong. His name...his name _is_ the Doctor. All the name he needs. Everything you need to know about him. And if you love him...and you should...help him. Help him and his Link. Save them. Save his family."

J and Clara waited a moment, but nothing happened, not that they were really expecting much. They were both aware that how the Time Lord regarded the Doctor as something of a nuisance and a bother. J sighed, rubbing his face, NOT wiping away tears, no, and stood, holding out a hand to Clara to help her up, the two of them walking off...only to stop when they heard a snap.

They looked back to see the crack...had closed.

~8~

The Doctor and Evy made it to the top of the clock tower, Evy helping the Doctor along as he leaned heavily on her, smiling at her in thanks for her support as she helped him, like she always did. She had stayed at his side the entire time, no matter how weary or infirm or feeble he became, she was always right there, looking at him like he wasn't that old man. It was the same look he'd seen when the Master had aged him, that she wasn't seeing his age, she was just seeing...him. And that meant the world to him. He was quite sure he would have given up ages ago if it hadn't been for that look 'keeping him young' as it were, urging him to hang on and keep fighting.

"Sorry," he called up to the Daleks, "I'm a bit slow. I may not be at my best right now."

"You are dying Doctor," one of the Daleks that was flying about the sky stated as it swooped closer to hover above the clock tower.

"Yes..." he rolled his eyes, "I'm dying. You've been trying to kill me and my Link for centuries and here I am dying of old age. If you want something done, do it yourself."

"You and your Link will die and the Time Lords will never return!"

Evy shook her head at them, "So you're just going to wait then?" they both knew what she was doing, baiting them, both of them...well, they'd rather death by Extermination, quick and painless if it was shot right on, than to have him suffer more and die of old age, than to have Evy suffer in his death. No, they wanted to go together, at the same time, and the Daleks were the only ones willing to fire on sight and fire a blast meant to kill them dead, "What? Are you scared? All this time and you're still frightened that we've got something planned," she gave a sad smile, "Not this time, for once, no plan, no weapons worth a damn," she winked at the Doctor for that.

He smiled, recalling that 'epic speech' as LJ loved to call them, "Knock yourselves out boys," he held out his arms to them, "We've got nothing this time."

Evy looked down, seeing Clara and J standing there in the streets with the other townspeople, watching, Clara was clutching LJ to her, keeping his face buried in her shirt so that the boy wouldn't have to see his father and mother exterminated, not that she could do the same for J, but it seemed her elder son refused to look away. She reached out and took the Doctor's hand...both of them waiting...

When suddenly there was a cracking noise and they looked up to see the crack in the wall...but in the SKY this time! The light within was more golden than white and...a soft golden light drifted out of it...heading right for the Doctor who inhaled it as it struck him.

"Was that..." Evy looked at him, "Did they just..." she pulled out her sonic and flashed him as he let out a breath, the golden energy inside him, "Oh my God...Doctor..." she stared at him, it was! The Time Lords had done it!

He looked down at his hand when he saw her staring at it...lifting it to see it glowing with REGENERATION energy! He looked at her and smiled as she nodded, confirming his thoughts.

"You will die now Doctor!" the Daleks cried, "This is the end of you and your Link. The rules of regeneration are known. You have expended all your lives! And now your Link will perish with you!"

"Sorry what did you say?" the Doctor looked at them, back and better than ever as he heard the threat against his Link, "Did you mention the rules? Now listen! Bit of advice..." he looked at Evy, grinning widely and winked at her. She nodded and turned to run down the stairs, knowing she needed to get the others away from the tower and quickly, "Tell me the truth if you think you know it. Lay down the law if you're feeling brave," he looked down at his sons and Clara, beaming when he saw LJ had turned in Clara's arms to look up at him when he'd started what might be his last 'epic speech' and looked up at the Daleks, "But Daleks...never, _ever_ tell me the rules!"

"Emergency!" the Daleks shouted, scanning him, "Emergency! The Doctor is regenerating! The Doctor is regenerating!"

"Oh look at this," he laughed, holding up his glowing hands, "Regeneration number 13. We're breaking some serious science here boys. I tell you what, it's going to be a whopper!"

"Get in side!" he could hear Evy order as she made it to the base of the tower, "Go! Get away! Hurry!"

"Exterminate!" the Daleks ordered, "Exterminate the Doctor!"

He just laughed at that, "You think you can stop me now Daleks? If you want my life? Come...and get it!" he wound up his arm and threw his right one out, destroying a Dalek as it flew at him in the air, blasting it with regeneration energy.

"Go! Hurry!" Evy called, ushering the people away, glancing back up to see the Doctor throw out his left arm and strike another Dalek ship.

"Get inside!" Clara turned to help her.

"Get off street," J agreed, pushing people off, "Get inside quick, quick!"

"Love from Gallifrey boys!" the Doctor cried, and threw his head back, regenerating, taking out the giant Dalek saucer that had descended on the town.

Evy looked over to see LJ clapping excitedly, beaming as his father, "Wonderful," she muttered, quickly taking her son from Clara and rushing them into the town hall across the street, the boy shouting that he wanted to watch.

But Evy just shut the doors, needing to keep them all safe and away from the blast of energy taking out the army of Daleks, that was her Link, enemy of the Daleks, Oncoming Storm, all in one.

~8~

When the doors of the town hall opened, the light was just starting to peek through the town as Evy, J, and Clara stepped out, LJ in Evy's arms. The townspeople ran out, ready to start cleaning and helping rebuild, knowing their town was safe at last, that there was no more enemies to come. But the Time Lords looked around, not seeing a trace of the Doctor.

Evy looked over at the TARDIS, knowing exactly where he was and rushed over to it, running her finger down the lock to open it and heading in with J and Clara behind her, "Doctor!" she called, moving to the console, stepping over the old, worn clothes he had been wearing as an old man, torn and ragged from his regeneration. They had just reached the console when they heard someone heading up the stairs from the underside.

And there he was, the Doctor, youthful and clean, looking just like his old self, "Hello," he whispered.

Evy ran right over to him, LJ reaching out to cling to his father as he hugged him, the man giving him a tight one as he wound his other arm around Evy's waist, J and Clara smiling behind them, though they were both solemn, they both knew that a miracle hadn't happened, that the Doctor was still regenerating, he was just...at an in between stage at the moment.

"It's the reset, isn't it?" J asked quietly, having heard about that, how it happened when a new regeneration cycle had been given. He hadn't realized it as a baby, he hadn't heard himself asking as he'd been a bit too preoccupied with the fact his father had regenerated and in doing so had taken out an entire Dalek arm, his dad was bloody cool.

The Doctor nodded, LJ on his hip now, "Taking a bit longer," he nodded, his voice starting to strain, "Just...breaking it in," he gasped and winced, staggering over to LJ's playpen to set the boy down, not wanting to risk hurting him with the lingering regeneration affects. He braced himself on the playpen, his hands gripping the edge of it, his knuckles turning white, "It all just disappears, doesn't it?" he turned to them, smiling as he made his way back to them, "Everything you are...gone in a moment like...breath on a mirror. Any moment now," his smile turned tired, resigned, "He's a-coming."

"Who...who is?" Clara frowned, not quite 100 percent sure who he was talking about, she knew some people could go a bit mad mid-regeneration...

"The Doctor," Evy whispered, reaching out to take is hand, "You," she murmured, lifting her other hand to touch his cheek, the Doctor closing his eyes and leaning into her touch, pressing her hand more firmly against his face as he held her hand to him, "It will always be YOU, Theta," she told him.

He nodded, opening his eyes and pulling her hand from his face, not letting go of it, "But times change...and so must I," he agreed, swallowing, "Do you remember?" he asked her, "The first face this face saw?"

"Amelia?" she guessed, remembering that.

"No," he touched her face, true, Amelia had been the first face they had BOTH seen, but...that wasn't the first one he saw, "YOU," he told her, stroking her cheek, "You were the first face...and I want you to be the last face."

She smiled, tears in her eyes, "I always will be," she promised squeezing his hand.

"Good," he took a breath, glancing at J and Clara, "Will you stay?" he asked his son.

J gave him a sad smile, "I'm sorry," he shook his head, moving to the console to put in instructions for a teleport back to his TARDIS, "But...I've had you dad, the next you, I think it's time Mini-Me sees one of you regenerate," he took a breath, his hand on a lever and looked at him, "It killed me to watch mum change, I saw you...die," he swallowed, "I...I'll see you again," he smiled at them sadly, hoping they would understand.

They nodded, it was incredibly hard for J to see them change, and having to stand there, thinking the Doctor was going to die and have him survive...it was too much. He'd seen Evy change, it was LJ's turn to witness their father change, in a way...he already HAD seen the Doctor change.

"And let's face it," he offered another smile, "You'll need HIM," he nodded at his baby self, "More than me right now," he looked back at Clara, "See you soon," he winked at her, before pulling a lever and disappearing.

The Doctor frowned, a bit hurt that J had left...when he saw why. LJ was watching them over the top of his playpen, a bit confused what was happening, and he realized...this was going to be the first regeneration LJ actually witnessed, this would be him seeing his daddy die and change. He'd only seen Evy appear as a different person but this...he'd actually SEE it. The boy was so small it could be traumatizing. J was right, they'd need to focus on LJ right now, "We all change," he began to the boy, "When you think about it. We're all different people all through our lives. And that's ok," he nodded, "That's good. You've got to keep moving so long as you remember all the people that you used to be. I will...not forget one line of this," he promised them all, slowly starting to take off his bow-tie "Not one day. I swear. I will always remember when the Doctor was me," he looked at Evy, and let the bow-tie fall to the ground, "I will always remember the days we had together," he promised her.

"No change..." LJ called softly, making them look over at him, seeing the golden light starting to waft around his father, "Stay? Peas?"

"Sorry boyo," the Doctor winked at him, before looking at Evy, "I love you."

She nodded, squeezing his hand as she let go of one, "I love you too..."

He suddenly jerked back and, before their very eyes, another man was in his place. He was older, his hair shorter, grayer, curlier. His eyebrows were FAR from delicate though, quite thick now, his face long, slightly wrinkled but not as much as before, his light eyes wide. He gasped as he fell forward out of his jerk and looked up...staring at Evy, blinking as he moved closer to her, reaching out a hand to touch her cheek, just...staring.

"See something you like?" she had to joke.

He blinked and looked over seeing Clara standing there as well, giving him a tiny wave, a bit...shocked...

He opened his mouth to speak...only to wince and hunch over a moment, his hand to his side, "Kidneys!" he shouted, straightening, "I've got new kidneys," he blinked and frowned, "I don't like the color."

"Of your kidneys?" Evy laughed, when the TARDIS suddenly jolted.

"What's happening?!" Clara gasped.

"We're probably crashing!" the Doctor ran around the console, "Oh..."

"Into what?" Clara shook her head moving to the monitor to try and see...

"Stay calm," the Doctor ordered, "Just one question..." he looked at them, "Do you happen to know how to fly this thing?"

Evy blinked, "Well, nothing new there," she remarked with a laugh as she and Clara joined him around the console, trying to stop the ship crashing.

To be continued...in...A Family United!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe Evy's Cycle is over for Series 7! I hope you all liked this. I was really torn about what to do with Amy and the hallucination, but...I realized that in this story EVY was the first one he saw. And with J there and LJ and their Link and his Link...this entire episode was really more about the Doctor's family than Amy being his last companion. This was about Evy and J so I wanted to sort of touch on that, Evy was the first face he saw, and the last :)
> 
> I hope the explanation for why 11 started aging here made sense, I didn't get why 300 years went by and he looked the same, then he's on Trenzalore and 300 years go by and he ages. So that was my explanation for it :) As for why I had LJ stay with Clara, I had already sort of stated that Clara would leave around the time that LJ reached the 'girls are gross' stage and he's not quite there, I needed him to stay a toddler a little while longer :)
> 
> I hope I scared you just a little with the Jara breaking up :) They didn't really, but Clara's family thought they had ;)
> 
> Also, Evy's official theme is...After the Fall by Two Steps from Hell :)


End file.
